Irvine, Calif.- What a week it's been for the CUI men's water polo squad - they have officially made history!
For the first time in the program's NCAA Division II era, the CUI Golden Eagles have earned a national ranking at the No. 20 spot before a ranked rematch against the No. 14 UC San Diego Tritons.
This long-awaited recognition follows a series of impressive performances from the Golden Eagles, including CUI's recent victory over the Air Force Academy - the program's first win over the Falcons since 2019 - served as a defining moment in their campaign and helped solidify their spot in the national conversation.
At the heart of CUI's historic climb is standout goalkeeper
Pablo de Souza, who was once again named the WWPA Defensive Player of the Week - his second consecutive time earning the honor. De Souza anchored the defense with a spectacular showing at the Titan Invite, tallying a total of 48 saves over the course of the weekend. His career-high performance came in the Golden Eagles' win over Chapman, where he recorded an astounding 21 saves, setting a new personal best.
Newcomer
Porter Rosenlof was also nominated after an impressive showing over those past four games.
Kai Young also recently scored six goals in the win over Occidental and had 4 goals in each of last Saturday's victories over Air Force and Chapman.
With a nationally ranked team and a red-hot goalkeeper leading the charge, the future is bright for the Golden Eagles. As the season progresses, the program's first national ranking marks just the beginning of what will be an exciting road ahead for the Golden Eagles, as they enter an exciting new chapter on the national ranking board.
CLICK HERE for the full Week 3 national rankings by the CWPA
No. 20 CUI hosts No. 14 UC San Diego in its home opener this Thursday, Sept. 18 at 1 p.m. The contest will be over at Woollett Aquatics Center, the home base for Concordia for years and roughly a 10-12 minute drive from the school's main Turtle Rock campus.
CLICK HERE for the full CUI men's water polo schedule
