No. 3 Vikings Advance to Semifinals with Last-Second Thriller Over No. 2 American River
The No. 3-ranked Long Beach City College men's water polo team delivered a nail-biting 9-8 victory over No. 2 American River College.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 9 |
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2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
Team Stats
American River
The No. 3-ranked Long Beach City College men's water polo team delivered a nail-biting 9-8 victory over No. 2 American River College, capped off by a dramatic buzzer-beater to secure their spot in the 3C2A State Championship semifinals.
The Vikings came out strong, maintaining the lead throughout the first half. However, the Beavers mounted a comeback in the second half, ultimately tying the game in the fourth quarter to set up a tense final minute.
With less than two seconds remaining, LBCC goalkeeper Diogo Checchinato came up clutch, blocking a potential game-winning shot from American River. Checchinato quickly launched a counterattack, finding Colley Ochoa, who scored a thrilling goal as time expired, clinching the victory for the Vikings.
LBCC now advances to face No. 1 Golden West College in the semifinals on Saturday at 1 p.m. at KLAC, with a chance to earn a spot in the championship match.
"It was a good game," said Ochoa. "We got a little lost in the third quarter, but we pulled it together one possession at a time in the fourth. It was fun, it was intense, and I'm really proud of the guys—they stayed locked in."