CMS Men's Water Polo Takes SCIAC Opener over Caltech

PASADENA, Calif. - Centers Noah Weldon and Luke (Bear) Weigle each had hat tricks as the CMS men's water polo team held off a second-half challenge from Caltech to take a 14-8 win in the SCIAC opener for both teams on Saturday morning.

With the win, CMS improves to 4-7 on the year, with five of the losses coming to Division I programs, including UCLA, USC, and Stanford (as well as UC Santa Barbara and Brown). Caltech falls to 3-4 with the loss. 

CMS led 5-1 after the first quarter and 8-3 at the half, before building their largest lead at 11-4 on a goal from Auggie Aliaga. The Beavers then rattled off four goals in a row to make it 11-8 with 1:54 to play, but Weldon and Weigle scored consecutive goals to stop the comeback, and Kyle Ballack finished it off with a goal with 45 seconds left. 

Weigle scored twice, sandwiched around an Eli Schwarz goal, to stake CMS to a 3-0 lead early. William Thomas gave the Stags a 7-2 lead before Weldon answered a Caltech goal to make it 8-3 at the half. 

Aidan Nettekoven and Jake Taylor each had six saves for the Stags. Schwarz and Thomas each had two goals for CMS, while Ballack had three assists to go with his goal, and Gavin Rosser, Thomas Walker, and Aliaga added goals as well. 

CMS is back in action on Wednesday for another conference road game when it travels to Occidental at 7 p.m., before hosting the Gary Troyer Invitational next Friday and Saturday at Axelrood Pool.