No. 1 Golden West Stays Perfect in OEC Play, Downs Orange Coast 13–7

Huntington Beach, Calif. - The top-ranked Golden West College men's water polo team remained unbeaten in Orange Empire Conference action, powering past Orange Coast College, 13–7, on Wednesday afternoon in Huntington Beach. With the victory, the Rustlers improve to 20–1 overall and 5–0 in OEC play, while the Pirates drop to 16–7 and 4–1 in conference.

Golden West set the tone early, jumping out to a 4–1 first-quarter lead and taking a commanding 9–4 advantage into halftime behind a high-efficiency offensive attack and defensive pressure that limited OCC to just one goal in each of the first and third quarters.

Lucca Van Der Woude led the Rustlers with a game-high four goals, while Michael Rodgers netted a hat trick and added two assists in the win. Jack Wright, Ryder Tonkovich, Gavin Abbott, Gavin Little, James Smith, and Wemmer Van Beukering each added goals to round out a balanced Rustler scoring effort.

Golden West totaled 12 assists on 13 goals, showcasing its signature ball movement and depth. Wyatt Mitchell led the team with three assists, while Wright, Tonkovich, Winchester, and Rodgers each dished out multiple helpers.

In the cage, Boston Frost anchored the Rustler defense with 12 saves, holding the Pirates scoreless on multiple power-play opportunities and controlling the match from wire-to-wire.

Golden West continued its momentum through the middle quarters, outscoring OCC 5–3 in the second frame before matching the Pirates defensively in the second half. Van Der Woude put the game out of reach in the fourth, scoring his fourth goal at the 4:58 mark to give GWC a 13–5 cushion.

The Rustlers turn the page to tomorrows doubleheader as they are set to host Sierra College at 2pm and then American River at 4pm. This is part the final push of the regular season as Golden West is set to play nine games in five days.