Strong Final Period Leads VC Past El Camino

The VC men's water polo team outscored El Camino 6-0 in the fourth quarter Friday to defeat the Warriors 13-8 in their first game of the Eduard "Tuna" Gorodetsky Mini at Santa Monica. In the nightcap, the Pirates dropped a hard-fought 10-6 decision to Palomar. Owen Cugnoni had seven goals on the day, including four in the decisive final stanza against ElCo and Scott Wagner found the inside of the cage five times on the day.

Ventura 13, El Camino 8

For the second time in eight days, the Pirates defeated the Warriors in Santa Monica. This week's edition required an epic fourth quarter comeback fueled by four goals by Cugnoni in the final eight minutes.

The Pirates (5-12, 0-3) received a pair of scores by Wagner in the opening period  led to a 3-3 tie at the end of the first eight minutes of play. 

Cugnoni and Sebastian Cornejo put together back-to-back scores for VC early in the second quarter before El Camino came back to knot the score at 5 by intermission.

Wagner netted Ventura's only scores in the third as the Warrior led 8-7 heading into the final stanza.

Cugnoni scored the first of hist fourth-quarter goals at the 7:19 mark to bring the Pirates back even with the Warriors. He found the inside of the cage again two minutes later to give VC the lead for good, 9-8. Michael Soho scored on the next possession before Wagner netted a goal at the 3:09 mark. Cugnoni scored Ventura's final two goals as the Pirates won going away, 13-8.

Cugnoni scored five goals in the contest with two drawn exclusions while Wagner had four scores with a pair of steals. Cornejo handed out three assists with his one goal and Soho also scored once. Shawn Coyner was solid in the cage with 11 saves, six steals and an assist.

Ventura 6, Palomar 10

In the nightcap, the Pirates outscored the Comets 3-0 in the third quarter to pull to within 7-5, but ran out of gas in the final stanza in the unfavorable decision.

Ventura grabbed the early advantage with goals by Cugnoni and Wagner in the first three minutes of play. Palomar came back, however, and led at the quarter break 3-2, and at halftime, 7-2.

Soho sandwiched a pair of scores around a goal by Cugnoni in the third as VC climbed back into the game before the Comets took over in the final stanza.

Cugnoni scored two goals with a pair of drawn exclusions and Soho scored twice, as well. Wagner and Cornejo added Ventura's other two goals. Coyner had seven saves with four steals in goal.

Ventura will conclude regular-season Western State Conference play on Wednesday Oct. 25, hosting Santa Monica at 4:30 pm.