THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — The second season preview for California Lutheran University is Kingsmen Water Polo. Longtime assistant coach Cody Pletcher takes over the program, which is ready for a full season, after only getting to play four games a year ago.
The team returns a huge senior class of 11, with sights set on a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Postseason Tournament berth. With lots of experience and depth, watch out for the Purple and Gold.
The regular season starts on the road, Sept. 4-5, in the Rare Air Challenge at U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo. The Kingsmen then return home for a three-game span against Fresno Pacific (Sept. 10), Redlands (Sept. 16) and Chapman (Sept. 22).
With the season starting, we talked to Coach Pletcher about the upcoming year.
It is your first year as head coach of the program, what are you most excited about? I am most excited for the opportunity to lead the Kingsmen through my vision of success.
Your team saw some action in last year, how has that helped you going into this year? We had an undefeated season last year, and I believe that we are only going to grow from the success we experienced last year. Some teams did not experience anything because they did not play. On the other hand, we did get to play and we took advantage of that time.
Which returners will continue to be the driving force in the pool? Our two senior goalies, Jonathan Salandi and Andre Rivas. Our senior two-meter defender, Stephen Blaauw, utility player, Dillon Goldsmith, and junior lefty attacker, Ben Brown.
What can we expect from the newcomers? A very dynamic group with lots of talent and promise. There are players that can do a little bit of everything within the sport of water polo. We have incoming freshmen that are two-meter players, left-handed attackers, two-meter defenders, utility players and right handed attackers. I am excited to see what this group of incoming freshmen will accomplish at Cal Lutheran.
What are your thoughts for the year and what are your expectations? Change is always hard within a program, but I have been with the program going on 15 years, so the relationships I have made are growing and getting even stronger now that I am head coach. The players have lots of energy and motivation right now to be the first men's program for Cal Lutheran to win a conference championship within the sport of water polo. I think the change has brought us closer as a team so we can now go out and capture a SCIAC title.
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Release by Ryan Jorgenson, Sports Information Director
