Chaffey Defeated in Conference Opener to Long Beach City

The Chaffey College men's water polo team opened its first South Coast Conference contest of the 2025 season on Wednesday but came up short against powerhouse Long Beach City College, falling 19-4 at the Aquatic Center. The Panthers struck early to keep pace in the first quarter, but the Vikings' relentless offense proved too much across four quarters.

Chaffey jumped ahead with a goal from Vincent Garibay off a feed from Evan Fleming, and later Mario Nikolovski equalized at 2-2 with an assist from Baron Gonzalez. The Vikings, however, closed the opening frame on a 4-0 run to seize momentum.

The Panthers continued to battle in the second half, as Fleming converted in the third quarter from a setup by Gabriel Zarate Ayala. Parker Black added an unassisted goal in the fourth quarter. Despite these efforts, the Vikings capitalized on defensive lapses and exclusions to stretch their advantage.

In goal, Adam Kirkpatrick registered eight saves against a high-volume Long Beach City attack. Chaffey showed resilience in transition and created quality looks, but the Vikings' scoring depth made the difference.

The Panthers will regroup and shift their focus to the Mt. SAC invitational on Friday, September 19, and Saturday, September 20. Chaffey's opening game is against Rio Hondo College and is scheduled for Friday at 8 a.m.