THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.— The 2018 Cal Lutheran men's water polo season is highlighted by the Conn. College Tournament, Gary Troyer Tournament and 11 home games.
The Kingsmen open the season at home on Wed., Sept. 12, and take on Division I foe, UC San Diego, in the Samuelson Aquatics Center at 2 p.m.
The Violet and Gold then hit the road for their first tournament of the year. The Conn. College Tournament is held in New London, Conn., and is Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 15-16. The trip will feature a match against Division I opponent, Iona, and Division III teams, MIT, Penn St.-Behrend and host Conn. College.
"We always look forward to traveling to the east coast to compete," said men's water polo head coach Craig Rond. "There are some very good programs on the east coast and we appreciate the competition.
"It gives us an early season opportunity to get to know one another, do some important team building and even take in some historic sights."
CLU plays its first Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) match Wed., Sept. 19, against Caltech. The Kingsmen's first home SCIAC match is Wed., Sept. 26, as they take on Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. A key home game is Sun., Sept. 23, as the Violet and Gold host the Air Force at noon.
"Hosting the Air Force Academy is always both an honor and a tall order for us," said Rond.
Next for Cal Lutheran is the Gary Troyer Tournament which is hosted by Pomona-Pitzer on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 5-6. The Tournament pits the Kingsmen against Division I opponent, Fordham. The Violet and Gold also take on Division II foes, Fresno Pacific and McKendree, and Division III's Washington & Jefferson.
The Kingsmen then get back into SCIAC play and host Redlands, Caltech, La Verne, Occidental and Chapman. Senior Day will be held Saturday, Nov. 3, as CLU hosts Occidental at 11:00 am. Altogether, the Violet and Gold compete in 14 SCIAC games.
"As always, SCIAC competition will be tough," said Rond. "We lost a number of close games last year and will hope to be able to avenge some of those losses from last year."
The top-four teams in the SCIAC then advance to the Postseason Tournament which is held Friday, Nov. 16, and Sunday, Nov. 18, at the highest seed's home pool.
Schedule:2018 Men's Water Polo Schedule
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Release by Ryan Jorgenson, Sports Information Director
