Keelhaulers start season 4-0

Cal Maritime entered northern league play in the Pacific Conference this weekend playing three games on Saturday and one on Sunday.

The Keelhaulers were led defensively by Ben Gomez and Paul Burgin.  Ben Gomez recorded over 40 saves while Paul Burgin limited shot opportunities to the opponent with clean and strong defensive technique and recorded 12 steals.  Burgin also contributed on the offense, dishing out eight assists and three goals. Offensively, the Keelhaulers led a balanced attack.  Switches were made at the right instant and several successful counter attacks resulted in goals.

The Keelhaulers started out with San Jose State who last season handed Cal Maritime a humbling loss at the championships. Saturday was a different story as the Keelhaulers swam away with a 13-9 win and the entire team contributed.

The next challenge was with a talented Fresno State team who sank under Keelhauler pressure in an 11-6 Cal Maritime win.

The last game Saturday was with the Chico army. Boasting a roster over 30 players, the Wildcats came in rested. Cal Maritime never led until the last two minutes and prevailed 8-7. This win combined with the victory over Utah University two weeks ago shows the character of the team. "They never quit, we kept coming back and never panicked knowing our shots would eventually find the back of the net," stated Coach Tiger.

The Sunday game with Saint Mary's was a pure demonstration of the Keelhaulers ability to stop a good team in their tracks and score 12 goals. The12-5 score is one that Cal Maritime hopes to use as a confidence builder as we prepare for our rematch with UCLA this coming weekend. The Keelhaulers will be hosting the Northern Regional II Tournament at Cunningham Pool in Vallejo.  Cal Maritime's first game will be at 11:00 AM against Cal State Fullerton (see schedule for more information).  Cal Maritime will also face UC Santa Barbara and USC.