STOCKTON – Ripon never trailed Wednesday night to open the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II water polo playoffs with a 14-10 win over Woodcreek at Cortopassi Aquatics Complex.

“We are missing one of our starters, Andrew Hanker,” Ripon coach Andrew West said. “I was a little worried about players playing in new positions and how our cohesion was going to work. I thought their focus to start the game was excellent, and I felt like they embraced the challenge of playing without one of our better players, and the boys kind of relied on the basics.

“I emphasized that as long as we play the right kind of water polo, I don’t care who we’re playing and what their talent level is, as long as we are playing in a controlled, logical manner, usually, we come out on top unless the talent disparity is so big we can’t compete. But we have a lot of experience, and it shows with six seniors on this team.”

Lucas Rietkerk helped lead Ripon (19-12) with five goals.

“It was a team effort,” Rietkerk said. “We were moving the ball really well and everyone was playing good tea offense and defense.

“It ended up working out really well for us.

Ripon’s Andrew Bell added five goals as well.

“We were missing a guy and we came together,” Bell said. “It helps a lot when everyone plays defense and fills in their roles.”

Ripon freshman goalie Liam Winter put up seven saves.

“I felt pretty good out there,” Winter said. “The defense was really helping me out.

“We had a lot of good blocks on defense.”

Deven Patel added two goals for Ripon with one apiece for Boem West and T.J. Corgiat.

Nolan Hawkins blasted in seven goals for the Timberwolves (11-18) from Roseville.

Ripon travels to Loomis to face No. 3 Del Oro in the quarterfinals on Friday at 5:30 p.m.