LA JOLLA, Calif. – No. 4 (CWPA) Cal put its best foot forward and started the 2019 campaign with a pair of nonconference wins against Whittier College and No. 14 Loyola Marymount at the UC San Diego-hosted Triton Invitational on Saturday.
 
The Bears (2-0) blasted Whittier (0-1), 22-2, in an early-morning clash before earning a hard-fought 14-9 victory over the Lions (0-1) in the afternoon. Both matches were played at the Canyonview Aquatic Center.
 
MATCH #1: No. 4 Cal 22, Whittier College 2
Newcomers played pivotal roles and paved the way to Cal's season-opening victory over Whittier in La Jolla. A trio of new faces – junior transfer Jasmin Kolasinac and freshmen Warren Loth and Sam Untrecht – tallied hat tricks offensively while freshman goalkeeper Adrian Weinberg recorded 10 saves in his first start between the pipes.
 
Weinberg, a product of Oak Park, Calif., allowed just one goal on 11 shots against as he picked up the win and played the first half. He turned it over to sophomore Anthony Rethans, who played the entire second half and made eight saves against nine shots.
 
The Bears raced out to a 7-0 lead by the end of the first quarter with six different players recording goals, including a pair by freshman Nikolaos Papanikolaou. Cal owned a comfortable 12-1 lead at halftime and cruised through the second half with five goals apiece in the third and fourth quarters. Eleven total Bears scored throughout the morning.
 
Kolasinac, who transferred from Wagner College prior to the start of the season, finished the season opener with six points as he added three assists to his hat trick. Senior Safak Simsek notched a five-point performance with two goals and three assists.
 
Cal was efficient in power-play opportunities, going 4-for-5 with goals by Kolasinac, Papanikolaou, Loth and Untrecht.
 
Whittier junior Carlos Heredia Viteri scored both of the Poets' goals.
 
MATCH #2: No. 4 Cal 14, No. 14 Loyola Marymount 9
The Bears put a cap on the first day of the season with a five-goal victory over the 14th-ranked Lions. Simsek and Papanikolaou netted six of Cal's seven second-half goals to help the Bears stave off a late run by LMU.
 
The Lions scored three consecutive goals from the 17-second mark of the third quarter to the 5:25-minute mark of the fourth to pull within four points of Cal, 12-8. Simsek put the threat to rest, however, with his third and fourth goals of the match with under four minutes remaining.
 
Cal built a healthy lead (7-3) before the halftime intermission by outscoring LMU, 4-1, in the second half.
 
Simsek capped a 10-point day with four goals and one assist in the Bears' second match of the day. He added three of Cal's 12 steals in the contest as well. Jordan Hoover, Papanikolaou and Kolasinac all added to the offensive push with hat tricks, respectively.
 
Weinberg recorded his second win of the day, logging four saves, one steal and two assists in goal. Senior Bernardo Carelli replaced Weinberg in the second half and made five saves against 11 shots.
 
COACH EVERIST'S TAKE
"Our team had a solid day overall. It's good to get the season going with a pair of wins," said head coach Kirk Everist. "We were sloppy at moments, but we also expect improvement as we move through the remainder of the Triton Invitational."
 
NOTABLES

• Cal improved to 22-0 at the Triton Invitational since 2013.
• Cal's 22 goals against Whittier were its most in a season opener since scoring 26 times against California Baptist on Sept. 5, 2015.
• Adrian Weinberg tallied 14 total saves in four quarters of play. He started both contests.
• Safak Simsek and Jasmin Kolasinac are tied for the team lead with 10 points apiece. They both scored six goals and pitched in four assists through Cal's first two matches.
• Cal saw 12 players score at least once on Saturday.

NEXT TIME
The Bears will play twice more at the UC San Diego-hosted Triton Invitational on Sunday. They will first face No. 7 UC Santa Barbara (2-0) at 11:10 a.m. at the Canyonview Pool. Cal's final match of the weekend will be played at 3:10 p.m., but its opponent is still to be determined. Information regarding Cal's second opponent on Sunday will be released following the conclusion of the 11:10 a.m. match vs. UCSB.
 
STAY POSTED
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