MERCED, Calif. - The Concordia men's water polo team had a week's worth of time to prepare for the match and did not waste a single moment. The Golden Eagles knocked the UC Merced Bobcats out of the water with an 18-12 victory. 

Concordia's offense remained steadfast and aggressive throughout the match, effectively outscoring the Bobcats in every period. 

Many Golden Eagles contributed to the victory. Jacob Stuart, the senior attacker, led the team with five goals, an assist, and a steal. He has been a key player for the Golden Eagles thus far in the season and holds the school record for most career goals. 

Junior utility Harry Bentham followed close behind with four goals of his own and two steals. Within thirty seconds of the first period, he scored the first goal of the match on a penalty.  

Kai Young and Konstantinos Koulouris both scored two goals each to boost Concordia's score above the Bobcats. Konstantinos made his presence known in the first half, while Young found his rhythm in the second half. 

The Golden Eagles scored the most goals in the third period. Five different CUI players contributed to those six goals, including Sam Diamond, Stan De Mey, Stuart, Bentham, and Young. Sam Diamond was crucial in finding his teammates, contributing three assists in the match. 

Defensively, Griffin Beth did everything in his power to make it hard for the Bobcats. The senior goalie was recently named WWPA Defensive Player of the Week for the second time in his career. With seven saves under his belt, Beth only allowed twelve goals against UC Merced. 

Concordia maintained its lead throughout the match and sealed its triumph over the Bobcats 18-12. This marks the ninth win of the season for the men's team. 

Next up for the Golden Eagles is the face-off against Fresno Pacific at 1 pm on Saturday. It will be the second conference match of the season. 

To view the FULL Concordia men's water polo schedule, CLICK HERE.