PASADENA, Calif. (Nov. 3, 2021) - Junior center-forward Matthew Hajjar (San Jose, Calif. / The Harker School) continued his dominant play since midseason with a five-goal effort to lead the offense for Caltech men's water polo in an up-and-down battle against the nation's top-ranked Division III team.

 

The Pomona-Pitzer Colleges Sagehens and their perfect 10-0 conference record entered the match with high-level expectations, though the Beavers' defense was able to disrupt play enough to cause the game to ebb and flow after a choppy start for Caltech (down 6-1 after the first period) on a beautiful Wednesday evening in Braun Pool.

 

Having scored no fewer than four goals in each of his last five SCIAC games, Hajjar ran his total to 33 conference tallies on the season, which leads the league. While he has been spearheading the offensive effort, junior goalkeeper Wei Foo (Hacienda Heights, Calif. / Troy) continued his strong play by turning in a 13-save performance against 39 shots.

 

After trailing significantly at the end of the first period and 9-3 at halftime, Caltech won the third period, outscoring the Sagehens five goals to four and tightening the game up. When junior Max Bricken (Portland, Ore. /Westview) scored his second of the evening with 7:41 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Beavers were within striking distance of the Sagehens at 13-9. However, they would get no closer as Pomona-Pitzer demonstrated their dominance and utilized its significantly larger roster to end the game with a flurry of goals for the eventual 20-9 victory.

 

Head Coach John Bonafede and his squad remain in search of their first SCIAC win this season when they host the Whittier College Poets this coming Saturday, Nov. 6, at 11 a.m.