No. 20 Saint Mary's men's water polo plays its first-ever home game Sunday, Sept. 6, at 11 a.m. against Whittier College at the Soda Aquatic Center in Moraga.
The game marks another milestone for a program that did not exist a year ago. Saint Mary's College announced the Division I aquatics program in September 2025, adding men's and women's water polo and swimming through a partnership with nearby Campolindo High School, which provides the Soda Aquatic Center facility. The men's water polo team competes in the West Coast Conference (WCC).
When the program launched, three-time Olympic gold medalist and East Bay native Maggie Steffens praised the move. "As someone who grew up chasing the Olympic dream in the East Bay, it's inspiring to see Saint Mary's College launch men's and women's D-1 water polo programs," Steffens said in the September 2025 announcement.
The Gaels opened their inaugural season at the Triton Invitational in San Diego, finishing 2-4 in six games that included matchups against four nationally ranked opponents. Saint Mary's earned its first two program wins over Bucknell University and Mercyhurst University on Aug. 30 and was named the Anti Wave Team of the Tournament, according to SMC Athletics.
Freshman attacker Leo Hachem paced the Gaels at the Triton Invitational. Hachem scored the program's first-ever goal on a 5-meter penalty shot against No. 15 UC Santa Barbara on Aug. 28 and finished the tournament with 15 goals, earning Anti Wave Tournament MVP honors. Through the first four games, 11 different Gaels scored.
Sunday's matchup carries an extra storyline. Noah Bigara and Ethan Klerck both started their college careers at Whittier before transferring to Saint Mary's. Bigara was the Poets' leading scorer in 2025, finishing with 74 goals as a sophomore. Whittier went 17-12 overall last season and finished fifth in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC).
The roster reflects the program's global reach. Student-athletes from 14 countries outside the United States fill the inaugural squad, according to the college.
The game will be streamed live on ESPN+. Tickets are available at smcgaels.com/tickets.
