Irvine, Calif. – The Cal State Fullerton Men's Water Polo team opened their 2026 season at the UCI Tournament on Friday morning. The Titans dropped game one in a close 11-13 battle against Concordia Irvine and fell Friday evening to No. 16 Loyola Marymount, 5-15.
Titans 11, Concordia 13
The Fullerton Titans faced the Concordia Golden Eagles on Friday morning, where the fell in a close 11-13 battle.
Jason Joseph struck first, with two minutes remaining in the first period, but Concordia posted two goals in the final minute.
Denes Dobi nailed a shot at the buzzer, sending the game into the second period with a tie score.
In the second, Fullerton posted five goals while the Golden Eagles tallied six. Joseph recorded a second period hat trick, tallying three of the Titans' five goals in the second.
Ethan MacLeod and Dobi scored the other two goals, heading into halftime trailing 7-8.
Joseph continued his outstanding Titans debut as he kick started the third with his fifth goal of the game.
Carmelo Bangs followed to give the Titans a 9-8 lead with six minutes to go in the third quarter.
Marton Thuroczy also fired one to the back of the net to break up Concordia's two third period goals.
The Titans entered the final period with a tied game of 10 each. CUI posted three goals in the fourth while MacLeod was the only Titan to find the cage.
Joseph led the team in his Fullerton debut with five goals on five shots and a drawn exclusion. On his birthday, Dobi posted a pair of goals, a drawn exclusion and a steal. MacLeod also nabbed a pair of goals along with an assist.
Titans 5, LMU 15
MacLeod got things started against LMU with an early goal on a power play. The LMU Lions notched two past the keeper before
Cade Zeilinger scored his first of the day, also on an exclusion. The Lions tallied another two, and Joseph closed out the first with a Titans goal.
CSF entered the second trailing 4-3. Dobi nabbed one in the second quarter, but LMU tallied four before the half. Dobi scored at the start of the third, but his second goal of the game was the only Titans goal in the second half. LMU posted seven unanswered goals to end the first day of the UCI Tournament.
Titans freshman, Dobi led Fullerton in game two with a pair of goals, a drawn exclusion, a steal, and a field block.
The Titans are back in Irvine on Saturday at 1 p.m. when they take on No. 3 Stanford and again at 5 p.m. against Redlands.
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