Glendora, CA (Men's Water Polo) -- The Citrus College Men's Water Polo team saw an overtime lead disappear, and fell 13-14 to conference rival LA Valley College on Tuesday evening. Citrus got five goals and two assists from freshman Jordan Rivas, but it wouldn't be enough as LA Valley pulled through in sudden death overtime.
When the game started, it was Citrus that jumped out to an early lead. After LA Valley scored the first goal of the game, Citrus ripped off five of the next six goals and raced out to a 5-3 lead over LA Valley at the half. The Monarchs would respond by tying the game up in the third quarter out-scoring the Fighting Owls 4-2 in the third frame pulling even at 7-7.
Valley would briefly take the lead in the fourth scoring the go-ahead-goal with 2:18 left to play in the game, but Citrus finally answered as freshman Ahmed Elsherif scored the goal that sent the game into overtime with five seconds left on the clock.
In overtime, Citrus once again jumped out to a lead. Rivas got his fifth goal of the day and the lone goal of the opening overtime period, giving Citrus an 11-10 lead going into the second overtime. Citrus' defense which shut-down the Valley offense in the first overtime, stumbled, giving up three goals to the Monarchs and giving Valley a 13-12 lead.
Citrus, once again, escaped defeat when Justin Carmody sent the game into sudden death overtime with a game tying goal with just 36 seconds left in the second OT. All of Citrus' nine lives came to an end in the sudden death OT period however, when Valley's Zach Cook finished the game with a goal inside the 2-meter area.
With the loss Citrus falls to 9-14 overall and 1-2 in Western State Conference play. Citrus will take the rest of this week off, and resume play next weekend when they travel to South to participate in the Saddleback Tournament in Mission Viejo, CA.
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