California Lutheran University’s Men’s Water Polo team defeated the Caltech Beavers with a score of 19-5 in the Kingsmen’s opening home and Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game of the season. This was the team’s first win following five consecutive losses.
“It was the best of any game so far, we all came in, we were all listening to music, we were vibing, it was really good energy today, very confident,” junior utility player Tre Eade said.
In the first two-quarters of the game, the visitors went scoreless, as the Kingsmen were 11-0 up at the halfway point. Caltech’s first goal of the game came in the third quarter.
The Beavers continued to improve as the game went on, scoring four goals in the final quarter to split it with a score of 4-4 with the Kingsmen. However, the home team’s efforts in the first three quarters were enough to see them over the finish line, winning with a score of 19-5.
Junior utility player Kayden Sourbeer and sophomore left-attacker Nic Mastropoalo led the defensive effort tallying five and three steals respectively, while senior utility player Lincoln Hall and Senior attacker Justin Boals emerged as the top scorers with three goals each.
Junior utility player Luke Matthies said the Kingsmen have qualities that they can improve on throughout the rest of the season.
“We’re fast, we’re smart, we definitely need to work on more communication in the pool and things like that, but as of now, I think we’re on a good course,” Junior utility player Luke Matthies said.
Last year, the Kingsmen water polo team made program history with their first-ever SCIAC Tournament win. However, they have set their goals even higher for this season.
“One thing we are planning on doing differently this year is winning the national championship and not losing, just because it didn’t sit well with us, so we’re ready to come back and get it this year,” Hall said.
This season also marked a change for the Kingsmen, as they welcomed Jacob Johnson as their new head coach, which has led to a shift in their game strategies. Eade said the Kingsmen are learning Johnson’s new system, and that he is teaching them “a lot of new stuff we haven’t learned before.”
“The play style we have in the pool is a lot different. We have a unique counterattack, we have a unique offense that we run, so it’s a lot different than last year. Everything’s different, but we are adapting to it, and we are adapting quickly,” Hall said.
According to Matthies, this systematic change could move the Kingsmen closer to achieving their daily and ultimate goals.
“We want to win, that’s what we are after, and we are trying to figure out a system that’s going to work for us to achieve that,” Matthies said.
Eade said he was proud of his team’s performance, which he believes was reflective of their positive energy. Hall echoed Eade’s sentiment and alluded to the confidence that Eade said the Kingsmen possessed.
“We are a very resilient team, if we are losing we always know that we can come back and win it. We have no doubts in our mind,” Hall said.
The Kingsmen water polo team will travel to the University of La Verne on Wednesday, Sept. 27 as they look to make two SCIAC game wins in a row.
