Rustlers Roll Past Long Beach, 15–8, Looking for Ninth Consecutive 3C2A State Title

MERCED, Calif. – The top-ranked Golden West College men's water polo team surged into the 2025 3C2A State Championship Game with a convincing 15–8 victory over Long Beach City College in Friday's semifinal matchup at Merced College. The Rustlers advance to face Orange Coast College on Saturday, November 22 at 11:15 a.m., with the state title on the line.

Golden West established early control, responding to an initial Long Beach goal with a three-goal burst fueled by Michael Rodgers, Jack Wright, and Joao Goncalves to take a 4–2 lead after the first quarter. The Rustlers broke the match open in a dominant second period, outscoring LBCC 7–4 behind a balanced offensive attack that featured goals from Lucca Van Der Woude, Ryder Tonkovich, Rodgers, and Wright.

Van Der Woude and Rodgers each tallied multiple goals during the second-quarter surge, helping Golden West stretch its lead to 11–6 at halftime.

The Rustlers continued to separate in the third frame, extending the advantage to 14–8 with goals from Wright and Van Der Woude—who completed a standout performance with a match-high scoring effort. Golden West's defense tightened in the fourth quarter, shutting out the Vikings while Van Der Woude added his sixth and final goal to seal the semifinal win.

Wright delivered a strong all-around performance with four goals and multiple assists, while Rodgers chipped in three goals and Tonkovich added one. Goncalves, Molnar, Mitchell, Templeton, and Kearney contributed across the stat sheet in a well-rounded team effort.

With the victory, Golden West improves its postseason run and now turns its attention to a familiar rival Orange Coast College in Saturday's championship showdown starting at 11:15am.