Comets Battle on Day One of Mt. SAC Tournament

WALNUT, CA (9/19/2025) -- Palomar men's water polo opened play at the Mt. San Antonio College Tournament on Friday, taking on two tough opponents in host Mt. SAC and Saddleback College. The Comets fell in both contests but showed plenty of fight throughout the day.

Game One: Mt. San Antonio 18, Palomar 11

The opener against host Mt. SAC started rough for the Comets as the Mounties stormed out to a 7-1 first-quarter lead. Palomar battled back, scoring twice in the second frame on goals from Sam Goode and Kaelin Kelley, but Mt. SAC's duo of Jacob Carlson and Nicolas Flores proved difficult to contain as they combined for 13 goals.

Palomar didn't go quietly, however. The Comets rallied in the fourth quarter with six goals, highlighted by a pair each from Mikey Montoro and Kelley, plus tallies from Cody Schnick, Jack Fritz, and Brody Rodriguez. Kelley led Palomar with four goals in the contest, while Montoro scored twice and dished out two assists.

Game Two: Saddleback 8, Palomar 7

In the afternoon matchup, the Comets went toe-to-toe with Saddleback in a defensive battle that came down to the wire. Palomar trailed 6-4 at halftime but clawed back in the third quarter with goals from Jacob Godfrey and Kelley to cut the deficit to one.

The fourth quarter saw Godfrey score again to tie the game at 7-7, but Saddleback answered less than a minute later with what proved to be the game-winner. Palomar had late chances but couldn't find the equalizer. Godfrey paced the Comets with two goals, while Sam Goode, Montoro, Fritz, and Brody Rodriguez each added one. Morgan Hartness chipped in two assists to keep the offense moving.

Looking Ahead

After a tough opening day, Palomar sits at 5-5 overall and will look to bounce back as tournament play continues.