Sudden-death goal in third overtime period gave Rio Hondo the edge over Fullerton

Sudden-death goal in third overtime period gave Rio Hondo the edge over Fullerton Sudden-death goal in third overtime period gave Rio Hondo the edge over Fullerton The Roadrunners end the Hornets’ four-game winning streak after a back-and-forth matchup, moving Fullerton’s overall record to 10-9. Ethan Aldecoa, Staff Reporter October 11, 2026 John Henton Fullerton College’s No. 13 raises an arm while facing a Rio Hondo College player at close range. Four periods of regulation and two additional overtime periods were not enough to decide the winner of the men’s water polo game between Fullerton and Rio Hondo on Wednesday, Oct. 9. The third overtime period saw officials call for sudden-death, or last-goal wins, in which the Roadrunners successfully secured the last-minute victory. The four regulation periods saw both teams match each other, with the highest score differential at the end of each being just one goal. The second and fourth periods provided the highest scoring sequences of the game, with both teams scoring roughly two-thirds of their first half goals in the second period. The same occurred in the second half, making the final period of the game a nail-biter. Gallery • 5 Photos John Henton A Rio Hondo College attacker prepares to throw while Fullerton College’s No. 3 raises an arm to block. Fullerton Men’s Water Polo Head Coach Gary Cheever was proud of the adversity his team withstood. “Even though we made mistakes, we didn’t quit. We showed heart; we didn’t quit. We could have easily stopped when Rio was up,” said Cheever. The Hornets and the Roadrunners took turns exchanging goals in the fourth, never exceeding a higher differential than one. Fullerton equalized the game with one minute remaining, 18-18. Rio responded with a goal of their own, reclaiming the lead with just 34 seconds left. Story continues below advertisement Looking to stall out the clock, Rio attempted to keep play away until the final whistle. Fullerton fought back, regaining possession and drawing a penalty with just four seconds remaining on the clock. A penalty was scored by goalkeeper Sidney Mupas, tying the game with seconds remaining in regulation. Fans of both teams were anxious and loud, as they cheered on their respective teams heading into overtime. The first overtime period did not see a single score from either team, but the second saw them both exchange one goal each. After nearly 40 minutes of playing time and both teams visibly exhausted, Rio Hondo’s Arik Aguirre scored the sudden-death goal in the third overtime period. Despite the resilient effort, Fullerton’s four-game winning streak would come to an end. With a 10-9 overall record, this was the Hornets’ best start to the men’s water polo season since 2019. Fullerton looks to get back in the win column when they face Cypress at home on Wednesday, Oct. 14. Game time is 2:15 p.m. PST. View Story Comments 0 Like This Story Share on Facebook Share on X Email this Story Print this Story Leave a Comment About the Contributor Ethan Aldecoa, Staff Reporter Ethan Aldecoa is a student in the Fullerton College Intro to News Media Production class. I am a third year student who is majoring in Journalism with hopes to transfer to Cal State Fullerton next semester.