PASADENA, Calif. – The Caltech men's water polo team opened SCIAC play Wednesday with a hard-fought matchup against the nationally-ranked No. 2 Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens. Despite a final score of 17-6 in favor of the Sagehens, the Beavers showed grit and progress throughout the contest.

The first half was highly competitive, with Caltech holding Pomona to just seven goals while scoring twice themselves. Early in the third quarter, the Beavers pulled within striking distance at 7-4, highlighting their determination against one of the strongest teams in Division III.

Junior Justin Hong led the Caltech offense with a hat trick, while goalkeeper Sujit Iyer anchored the defense with an impressive 12 saves and 3 steals. Notably, Iyer denied two five-meter penalty shots, energizing his teammates and the home crowd.

Although Pomona-Pitzer pulled away late, the Beavers battled to the final whistle. Head Coach Jon Bonafede praised the team's effort, emphasizing the progress being made as Caltech continues through its SCIAC campaign.

Head Coach Jon Bonafede and the Beavers will return to action next week Saturday, Sep. 27 at Chapman University.