Calvert Hall seeking to regain past water polo dominance

There was a time when Calvert Hall was the most dominant program in MIAA water polo and the 2024 Cardinals are looking to recapture some of that past glory.

Water Polo was sanctioned as an official MIAA sport in 2000 and Gilman captured the championship that very first season. Calvert Hall then won the next eight titles. Loyola broke that streak in 2010, but the Cardinals won three more championships in the next five years to give them 11 of the first 16 in MIAA history. The MIAA water polo championship plaque, however, has not rested at Calvert Hall since 2015.

In recent years Gilman has taken the mantle as the MIAA’s most dominant team in the pool, winning the last two titles and four of the last five.

Calvert Hall (9-0 overall) defeated Gilman, 14-11, late last month, and is now 7-0 in the conference. The Cardinals have had several close matches, including a one goal win over Mount St. Joseph and a three point victory over Loyola, but the Cardinals may be getting stronger as the season goes along. In their rematch with the Gaels last week, Calvert Hall stretched its margin of victory of five goals.

In their seven league matches, the Cardinals are averaging 15.3 goals.

With just three regular season matches remaining, the Cardinals are closing in on the top seed for the playoffs, but they will face some challenges in closing it out. On Monday, Calvert Hall travels to Loyola and then goes to Gilman on Thursday. Gilman and Loyola are currently tied for second place, each with 6-2 records. In addition to losing to Calvert Hall, the Dons and Greyhounds have split with each other.

The other three teams in the conference are all under .500, with St. Joe (2-6) currently having the inside track to the fourth and final playoff spot.