Men's Water Polo opened the first day of the Cuesta II Tournament with identical wins, 20-3, over both Merced and Diablo Valley.  In the tournament opener, the Cougars jumped out to a 10-1 lead over Merced at the intermission.  The Blue Devils scored two more in the third quarter, but Cuesta Goaltender Yvano Voigt closed the nets in the fourth quarter as he racked up eight saves in the game.  Drivers Joey Brocar and Oliver Finley both scored four times to lead all scorers, however their teammates Jake Burns, Jake Escobar, and Dante Ianora each added a "Hat Trick" in the victory.  In the nightcap, Voigt flirted with a shutout in the goal until halfway through the third quarter, while the offense kept pounding away by scoring the first fourteen goals of the game.  Voigt ended the game with ten saves, but also added his name to the list of goal scorers, when his full court shot at the final buzzer was mishandled into the goal.  Finley scored four times, in a more traditional manner, to lead the Cougars, while Ianora paired his second "Hat Trick" of the day with a trio of tallies from Freshman Conner Rocha.  The twin victories moved the Cougars' overall record to 13-8 on the season.  

Today's sweep moves the Cougars into the tournament's championship round tomorrow.  The Cuesta II Tournament's Championship Saturday kicks off at 7 AM tomorrow, however the championship bracket, headlined by the host Cougars, begins at 8:10 AM, when the 9th-ranked Cougars take on #3 Saddleback.  The Cougars and Gauchos each also face unranked American River in the final bracket.  The Beavers play Saddleback at 11:40 and Cuesta at 3:10.

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