When the California men's water polo team leapt into its first official practice at Legends Aquatic Center this week, one thing remained consistent - for the third straight year, they entered the pool as defending NCAA champions.

Outside of that fact, much has changed for the Golden Bears, who begin yet another title defense with Olympic-sized shoes to fill on both sides of the pool.

On one end, the Bears will have to replace the backbone of their defense in Adrian Weinberg, who showed just how valuable he is during a stellar Olympic debut in which he led the United States to a bronze medal and racked up more saves than any other goalkeeper. On the other side, Cal will have to find new ways to score without center Nikolaos Papanikolaou, widely considered to be the undisputed most dominant player in collegiate water polo over the past three years.

The Bears - who Wednesday were ranked No. 2 in the Collegiate Water Polo Association preseason poll – still have their same foundation and championship DNA intact with an experienced roster that includes three of its five ACWPC All-Americans from last season.

"It's going to be different," Cal head coach Kirk Everist said. "It's hard to foresee just how different it's going to be before you see actual fire and you're in the battle, but we're starting to see just what kind of team we're going to be."

New leadership and opportunities will define the early parts of the season for the Bears, who figure to be led on offense by their Spanish trio of Max Casabella, Roberto Valera and Albert Ponferrada.

Casabella's final performance of his junior season was a sign of what may be in store in 2024, as he scored five goals in the Bears' 13-11 NCAA Championship Game victory over UCLA to give him a team-best 66 for the year.

Valera – who was named to the All-America first team alongside Casabella – paced the MPSF in total goal contributions by a wide margin, finishing second on the team in goals (56) and first in assists (56). The left-handed Ponferrada earned an All-America honorable mention thanks in large part to his ability to punish defenses and score in big moments from the right wing.

They are just three of a large cohort of returners that are hopeful to fill significantly larger roles this year.

"Jake Howerton really came on last year and had a great season. He and Wyatt Mundelius are two seniors I think are leaders on the team that can really help us on both ends of the pool," Everist said. "We're going to need all hands on deck. We're going to have to get muddy and work harder than we had to work before, attack a lot more and find ways to generate offense with more people in your face and more challenges."

Additional players to look out for include former San Jose State Spartan Bende Pardi, centers George Avakian and Jordi Gascon, and Marci Szatmary, who similarly to Ponferrada brings a danger to defenses as a proven left-handed scorer in clutch moments. Carter Loth's unique abilities in central positions and Ryder Hagan's speed and athleticism will also be assets.

Cal enters the year with its same approach to championship aspirations as in previous years. The Bears plan to focus on one objective at a time, starting with their preseason training with their sights set only as far as their first official competitions of the season.

"We're so excited. We've been training all summer getting ready to get the season underway," Avakian said. "If you think too far ahead, you might make mistakes in the middle of the year, so it's better to think about what's next. Right now, we're just focused on the Triton Invite. We want to come out looking strong and set the tone for the rest of the season."

The Bears will open the year on Sept. 7-8 at the Triton Invitational at Canyonview Aquatic Center in San Diego.

 

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