GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Kevin Kraatz (Jr., Oceanside, Calif./Cathedral) and Warren Cooper (Fr., Lafayette, Calif.) accounted for six and five goals, respectively, as Sierra Pacific Division Champion/No. 3-ranked California Maritime Academy overmatched New England Division Champion/No. 14 Boston University, 19-12, to make the 2024 Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship title game on Sunday, November 10, at the University of Florida’s Anne Marie Rogers Swimming & Diving Pool in the O’Connell Center.
The victory has some historic impact for Cal Maritime:
- In the history of the Collegiate Club Championship, a Sierra Pacific Division team has never won the event since the group was created prior to the 2011 season.
- Cal Maritime will at least tie the University of California for the highest finish by a Sierra Pacific Division program as the Golden Bears finished in Second Place in 2012 with an 11-10 loss to the University of Southern California at the Osborn Aquatic Center in Corvallis, Ore.
- A two-time National Collegiate Club Championship participant, the Keelhaulers hold a prior Top 10 finish as the team captured Eighth Place in 2019 at the University of Pittsburgh as the squad stopped Oregon State University (16-12 W) before falling to the University of California-San Diego (10-7 L), Michigan State University (15-11 L) and Pennsylvania State University (12-6 L).
The Keelhaulers will need to defeat another California squad to return to the West Coast with the title plaque as 2022 and 2023 National Champion/Southwest Division Champion/No. 1 the University of California-San Diego downed 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2007 National Champion/Pacific Coast Division Champion/No. 2 California Polytechnic State University by an 11-4 score in the earlier semifinal.
Cal Maritime will seek to prevent UC-San Diego from joining elite company as only one team has claimed three consecutive National Championships—Lindenwood University (2014, 2015, 2016)—prior to the run coming to an end in 2017 when San Diego State University took home the big plaque.
Boston University – which is making the program’s inaugural appearance at the Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship after capturing the New England Division Championship – will face Cal Poly at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, November 10 for Third Place.
| 1st Q | 2nd Q | 3rd Q | 4th Q | – | FINAL | |
| No. 3 California Maritime Academy |
4 | 8 | 4 | 3 | – | 19 |
| No. 14 Boston University | 2 | 3 | 2 | 5 | – | 12 |
| Boston University Goals: | Liam Egan (4); Jaden Chen (3); Alim Kura; Hoku Eggertsen; Nikola Otic; Sam Silverman; Justin Kam | |||||
| Cal Maritime Goals: | Kevin Kraatz (6); Warren Cooper (5); Riley Kraatz (3); Ethan Osorio (2); Matthew Turecek; Joaquin Auger; Griffin Glassmire | |||||
| Saves: | Boston University – Parker Frost (2); Demir Genc (1) ; Cal Maritime – Jacob Idris (7) | |||||
| Exclusions: | Boston University – 11 ; Cal Maritime – 6 | |||||
| Advantage Opportunities: | Boston University – 1-for-6 ; Cal Maritime – 6-for-11 | |||||
| Sprints: | Boston University – 3-for-4 (1st, 2nd, 3rd) ; Cal Maritime – 1-for-4 (4th) | |||||
| Cards/Misconducts: | None | |||||
| Officials: | Chad Lemons; Kevin Heinrich | |||||
California Maritime Academy’s Matthew Turecek (#3) & Boston University’s Alim Kura (#4)
Boston University’s Justin Kam (#17) lines up a shot as California Maritime Academy’s Warren Cooper (#13) defends
Boston University’s Liam Egan (#2) attempts to elude California Maritime Academy’s Warren Cooper (#13) & Ethan Osorio (#12)
