Cal Maritime battles Pepperdine, Cal State Fullerton in season's inaugural events

Cal Maritime-Pepperdine Box Score  |  Cal Maritime-Cal State Fullerton Box Score

MALIBU, Calif. - The toughest test of the 2023 season took place on Sunday at Raleign Runnels Memorial Pool in Malibu, California, when Cal Maritime battled a pair of Division I foes in its season-opening set of matches. After starting the season against Pepperdine, who hosted Cal Maritime for its first matches of 2023, men's water polo returned to the water to face Cal State Fullerton.

Men's water polo scored all three of its goals against the Waves in the fourth quarter, starting with a strike from Ian Healy with 6:36 remaining in the match. With just under four minutes remaining, Carlo Ferreira found the back of the cage for CSUM; Kevin Kraatz recorded the team's final goal shortly before the final buzzer sounded in a game won by Pepperdine, 30-3.

Following a brief break, Cal Maritime provided a stiff challenge for a Cal State Fullerton team playing its first of consecutive matches scheduled throughout the day. 

In a back-and-forth battle throughout the opening period, it was the Titans who help a slim 3-2 lead over a resurging Keelhauler squad looking to return hom with a split of its opening matches. 

Even though CSUF extended its lead to four at halftime, the Keelhaulers remained within striking distance until the Titans out-scored the Keelhaulers by another three goals in the third period. 

That cushion was too large for Cal Maritime to erase, even though it scored three goals of its own throughout the final eight minutes of action and challenged Cal State Fullerton until the end throughout a matchup the Titans won, 20-11.

Kraatz led all Keelhaulers with five goals scored against the Titans with Matthew Turecek, Connor Wadhams and Healy each scoring a pair for CSUM.

Men's water polo will remain home for its next set of matches, slated for Sunday, September 24 at PEAC Pool, when the program hosts the Cal Pac Conference's inaugural Round Robin Tournament. 

Action will commence at 10 a.m. that day against UC Merced with the Bobcats battling Westcliff in a neutral-site contest at 12:30 p.m. The weekend will conclude at 3 p.m. when the Keelhaulers face the Warriors.