After starting the season 1-3 at the Merced College North vs South tournament, the San Diego Mesa men’s water polo team bounced back with a dominant performance at the Cypress invitational by winning all 3 contests and outscoring their opponents 61-31.

The offensive onslaught was led by standout freshman Max Diaz (Coronado, CA / Coronado HS)  who recorded 11 goals and 5 assists, followed by sophomores Dylan McQuade  8 goals / 9 ejections drawn, Shane Cassidy 8 goals / 7 assists, and Nick Winsor 8 goals / 1 assist / 3 ejections drawn.

Freshmen Jakob Bradley (Turlock, CA / Turlock HS) and Mackenzie Cottle (San Diego, CA / Scripps Ranch HS), also got into the scoring column. Bradley had 5 goals with 4 assists and Cottle contributed with 7 goals and 3 assists. 

Last year’s team MVP, goalie Dominic Bravo, made his presence felt and served notice to the conference by recording 34 saves and 6 steals. Overall, the Olympian defense was solid recording 32 total steals.

“I am very happy with how well the team has meshed and come together this early in the season,” states head coach Beto Vasquez. “We have a good mix of talent and experience on the team, and we have high hopes of achieving a conference championship. We haven’t had a team this talented and skilled since the 2019 season, the last time we won the conference, so this year we are playing and traveling as often as we can to be better prepared for PCAC’s in November.”

The coaching staff  scheduled 13 matches before facing their first conference opponent, Crafton Hills College, on Wednesday, September 27. The team will travel to El Camino College on Friday, September 8 to participate in the Palomar Mini Tournament.