Pirates go 3-0 at Cuesta Tournament

SAN LUIS OBISPO -- It was a worthwhile trip north for the Orange Coast College men's water polo team as the Pirates went a perfect 3-0 at the Cuesta College Tournament this past weekend.

The Pirates (11-3), winners of eight in a row, opened things with a solid 12-8 win over L.A. Valley on Friday. 

Strong starts were the keys to victory for the Pirates over the Monarchs as they scored the first three goals of the first quarter, the first four goals of the second quarter and the first two goals of the third to grab the early lead and never give LAVC a chance to get even after the opening 8 minutes.

Cade Zeilinger had three goals and five steals for the Pirates, while Dylan Morris, Harrison Cook, Noah Sharp and Jack McCann added two goals apiece. 

Goalie Gage Fojtasek came up big for OCC, earning the win with 16 big saves. 

On Saturday, Coast opened play against the host Cougars and another strong start paved the way for an 11-8 win.

Zeilinger, Cook and Sawyer McCormick each scored a pair of goals for Coast, while single goals were scored by McCann, McAdams, Sharp, Jackson Williams and Ben Hecht. Goalie Igor Pinheiro took the start and earned the win for OCC with 15 saves.

The final contest of the weekend was against the No. 4 team in the state, American River College. The Pirates overcame a 4-1 first-quarter deficit to earn an 11-6 win over the Beavers. OCC and AHC were tied at 6 midway through the third when the Pirates pulled away with five straight goals to end the game, shutting down the Beavers' offense for the final 12 minutes of play.

McCormick was the goal-getter for the Pirates with five to go along with an assist and a pair of steals, while Zeilinger added three goals, three assists and two steals. The OCC defense earned 14 steals in the win, including a game-high three from Hecht and three from Fojtasek, who also had nine saves to pick up the win against one of the top teams in the state.

Coast will return to Orange Empire Conference play at home on Wednesday against Riverside City College, beginning at 1 p.m.