BERKELEY – As the newest chapter in the illustrious history of Cal men's water polo began Wednesday, some of the program's most identifiable faces in recent memory had been replaced by a crop of confident newcomers.
 
Despite the losses of All-American standouts Johnny Hooper, Odysseas Masmanidis and Vassilis Tzavaras – who had helped Cal win the 2016 NCAA title and 75 matches during their four-year careers – excitement and optimism were the consensus expressions on each of the Bears' faces during Wednesday afternoon's training session at Legends Aquatic Center.
 
"This is a young team with something to prove in the wake of losing a lot of our firepower from last year," said head coach Kirk Everist, who enters his 18th season at his alma mater's helm. "That being said, this is a group that seems to be really excited and motivated. They are hungry and ready to make an impact."
 
For Cal's returners, that hunger is likely driven by missing out on the 2018 NCAA Tournament. Despite an 18-6 overall record and a final Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) ranking of No. 4, the Bears missed out on a NCAA berth and saw their season come to an end with a loss in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) title match.
 
Redshirt senior Jordan Hoover will serve as team captain and will look to fellow senior and 2018 ACWPC All-American Safak Simsek, junior Nikos Delagrammatikas and junior transfer Jasmin Kolasinac to provide leadership, both vocally and by example.
 
A nine-man recruiting class, along with a handful of talented transfers, gives Cal some unknowns. But the Bears boast a roster with experience at the center and defender positions and more depth than years past. Instead of putting heavy minutes on eight to nine players, Everist envisions a 12-deep group that can be deployed for short stints.
 
"Our young guys will not play eight minutes – or even five minutes – a quarter," Everist noted. "They just need to give us reps. From what I have seen this summer over the club season, these newcomers are a confident bunch.
 
"There have been pleasant surprises as well; guys who I thought would be really good in a couple years are proving to be much more ready than I thought. It's a good problem to have."
 
The Bears, who were picked No. 4 in the 2019 CWPA preseason poll, will open the regular season at the two-day, UC San Diego-hosted Triton Invitational on Sept. 7-8. Cal will face Whittier College and Loyola Marymount at 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., respectively, on Sept. 7. Opponents for day two of competition will be determined based on the results of Saturday's opening matches. Cal then hosts its home opener on Sept. 14 against UC Davis at Spieker Aquatics Complex.
 
Everist knows the 2019 season may be labeled as a rebuilding year by those outside of his program, but that is not distracting the Bears from their goal of competing for a national title this fall.
 
"I think we are going to steal some lunches this year," Everist said with a grin. "We have to keep working hard to find our identity, and when we do, I think we will surprise some people."