PASADENA, Calif. — The Caltech men's water polo team put up a tough fight in 2022, which saw them face a number of high-level opponents in both nonconference and conference play. Facing unprecedented challenges as athletics emerged from lockdowns, head coach Jon Bonafede's team earned several impressive wins in the fall campaign.

After a summer of hard training and preparation, Caltech faced off against Citrus College on Sep. 8 in the squad's much-anticipated home opening game. The visitors put up a strong fight, but the Beavers proved too savvy as they notched the 13-9 win.

The visitors held a 5-3 lead in the contest, though it would quickly dissipate as the Beavers began to both find their rhythm on offense and come up with key stops on defense. Particularly, it was senior Max Bricken who took over in the period; in a span of about 4 minutes and 30 seconds, the Oregon native scored five straight goals to put the Beavers on top, 8-5.

The Beavers would stay in front of the Owls for the remainder of the contest, thanks in large part to three more goals from Bricken. The standout totaled 10 of the team's 13 goals, making it the most goals scored in one game by a Beaver since 1994. Bricken is now fourth all-time in program history for single-game goals; he was just two scores short of the record set in 1987.

Contributing to the group's stellar defense were the quick hands of senior Wei Foo and first-year Sujit Iyer in goal, who both played 16 minutes of action; the veteran recorded four well-timed saves while the newcomer logged three.

Foo and Bricken led the game with five steals apiece, with the team totaling 18 to Citrus' eight. First-year Bram Schork led the group in assists with two.

The group would again look quite robust a few days later, as they took on the Riverside City College Tigers at the Inland Empire Classic. Despite it being their fifth game in five days, the Beavers toughed out an impressive victory, squeezing out the 11-8 win versus their nearby opponent.

It was Bricken who earned the first goal of the contest, though the scoring effort would prove far more spread out than in the team's previous win. Bricken (four goals), senior James Bowden (three), Schork (two), and senior Matthew Hajjar (two) each contributed to the team's offensive output. Foo posted one of the most impressive games of his career in goal, logging 13 total saves – a season-high and just one short of tying his career-high.

The team enjoyed a short one-day break before returning home for a matchup versus Chaffey College. The game was a wire-to-wire win for the Beavers, who topped the Panthers 14-8 in a dominant showing that saw strong play from the home team on both ends. Bricken led the way in scoring with five goals; Bowden and Schork each scored three times while sophomore Sean Zheng scored twice. The remaining score came from Foo, who notched his first goal of the year on top of playing sixteen minutes at goalkeeper. He combined with Iyer and graduate student Andrew Graven for nine saves.

The group also recorded a cumulative five field blocks in the contest. Chaffey's eight goals tied Riverside CC for a season-low scored against the Beavers.

A few weeks later, Caltech would hit the road as they took on the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens, who ranked No. 1 in the national Division III poll released before the game.

Despite the Sagehens coming in as the favorite, it was an incredibly close match until the final few minutes of the contest, when the top dog in Div. III pulled ahead to escape with the 18-13 victory.

It seemed as though Pomona-Pitzer would cruise to an easy victory, especially after achieving a 9-4 lead, though the team soon learned this was not the case; beginning in the third period and carrying into the fourth, the Beavers would score seven goals to Pomona-Pitzer's one, taking a stunning 11-10 lead with 6:50 to go in the game. The home team would bounce back, however, coming up with key scores and stops to quell the surging Beavers. Regardless, it was an impressive showing for Caltech, who played some of their best water polo of the year.

"Though we fell short in the final outcome, our team's ability to establish a scoring lead late in the game against the number one team was a testament to our skill, intelligence, and exceptional teamwork," said Bonafede. "The game showcased our true potential and left a lasting impression of our capabilities on both our opponents and ourselves."

2022 served as the final season for Graven, Foo, Bowden, Hajjar, Bricken and Juan Arvelo, who all made significant contributions in their Caltech career. Foo leaves the program with 258 saves, putting him in the all-time top-ten career saves list in the program record books. Foo's saves were achieved in just three years of play, as no season was contested in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bricken's 106 career goals lands him just short of the all-time top 10, an impressive achievement in just three seasons of play.

"The graduating seniors, each immensely talented in their respective positions, elevated the competitiveness of our program to new heights, leaving an indelible mark on our team's legacy," Bonafede said. "Their remarkable skills and dedication inspired their teammates and drew new talent, ensuring a bright and promising future for our program."

The team has a lot to look forward to in 2023, with nine players joining an already-talented group of young players.

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