PASADENA, Calif. (Feb. 21, 2023) –  The Caltech women's water polo team kicked off their 2023 season this past weekend as they competed at the Macalester Invitational in St. Paul, Minnesota. The team competed in four matches across two days as they faced off against the squads from Carthage, Macalester, Augustana, and McKendree. One of the more notable performances came from junior driver Emma Gurcan, who broke the game-drawn exclusions record with nine.

The Beavers' opening match saw them battle against a tough Carthage College team who was hungry for revenge after falling to Caltech last season, 13-8. This year's match was just as exhilarating as the two teams battled back-and-forth across the 36 minutes.

The contest began with Carthage on top 3-1 as the end of the first quarter neared, but a last-second goal from Gurcan would put the Beavers within one just before the first horn sounded.

The second quarter belonged to the Beavers, who notched four goals in under five minutes as part of a dominant 4-0 run. Caltech ended the quarter outscoring the Firebirds 4-2 and earning the 6-5 lead at the break.

The Beavers furthered their lead in the third period thanks to first-year center Mia Mutadich and first-year center defender Maya Dickson, who each recorded one goal in the period.

Caltech protected their 8-6 lead for the first minute and a half of the fourth quarter, though two quick goals from Carthage would tie it all up at the 5:50 mark. The Beavers were outscored in the final few minutes despite adding two more goals – one from sophomore utility Lana Lubecke and another from Gurcan.

Dickson led the team in points with four in addition to recording two goals and two assists in the match. Gurcan and Mutadich led the team in goals with three.

Gurcan led the match in steals with six, while goalkeeper Sophia Slora logged three steals to go with four saves. Senior center Amanda Piyapanee led the Beavers in defensive exclusions drawn with four, and first-year driver Madelyn Gilbert led the team in field blocks with two.

Game 2 saw Caltech face off against Macalester, the host of the tournament, who on Feb. 15 ranked third in the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) DIII Top Five Poll. The team also received votes in the National Poll.

The match began with the Beavers striking first, as junior driver Tyler Fox notched her first goal of the tournament less than a minute into play. Two more scores from Macalester put Caltech down just one, but a goal with :20 to go in the period from Gilbert tied the contest all up at two. The Scots pulled ahead in the second and third quarters, and despite a valiant effort, the Beavers could not come back. Both Gurcan and Slora recorded an impressive five steals, with Slora earning seven saves in net.

Sunday's first game saw a strong opponent in Augustana, a team which last ranked T-1st in the CWPA Top Five Poll and ninth overall nationally.

A quick start by Augustana put them ahead of the Beavers, but the orange did not go away, clawing their way back to make it just a four-score deficit with :43 to go in the first half.

A goal by Fox with 5:49 to go in the match put the Beavers within five, but the Vikings would pull ahead again on the way to the victory. Despite the result, the Beavers' nationally-ranked opponent outscored Caltech by just two (14 goals to 12) from the 5:15 mark in the second period onwards.

Gurcan led the team in points with five in addition to breaking Caltech's single-game record in defensive exclusions drawn with nine. The previous record was seven, set in 2016.

The final game of the day saw the Beavers play the group from McKendree University. Caltech received scoring efforts from four different players, including one from Gurcan – her seventh of the tournament.

Head coach Jon Bonafede admired how his team played in the competitive tournament.

"I was impressed with the team's performance in our opening games," said Bonafede. "Everyone got playing time, and all field players scored and contributed to statistical categories. I was happy with the effort that all players put in and the team cohesion we built upon," he said.

The team will now focus on playing in their own pool, as the group competes in seven of their next eight matches at home.

"I am looking forward to playing some home games in March and seeing the potential of this team grow," said Bonafede.

The Beavers' next match will be held at home on Monday, Mar. 6 at 5 p.m. versus Grove City College. Follow Caltech Water Polo on Instagram @caltechwaterpolo.