NEXT GENERATION | NCAA WATCH

Three Fordham freshmen are starting to make their mark

Oktavian Veklyuk, Petar Kulas and Karlo Dragosevic scored three goals each against Iona. Their next appearances will reveal more about their emerging roles on a team that has opened the season with 16 wins in 17 games.

Oktavian Veklyuk had already scored twice by the end of the opening quarter. Fordham led Iona 8–2 and had established the foundations of their Judge Cup victory. The freshman finished with three goals. Two fellow first-year players, Petar Kulas and Karlo Dragosevic, matched that total.

Nine goals from three players in their first college season. Within Fordham’s 24–10 win on October 15, that contribution deserves attention beyond the final score.

Finding a place on a winning team

Fordham improved to 16–1, with sophomore Diego Tresa leading their scoring against Iona with four goals. The three freshmen are contributing to a team that has already put together a strong start.

That setting brings particular demands for a newcomer. Training involves established partnerships, teammates with familiar preferences and a collective rhythm the new player must learn. Individual strengths need to find a useful place within an existing system.

Veklyuk’s two first-quarter goals show that he contributed while Fordham were building their initial lead. Kulas and Dragosevic also made measurable attacking contributions with three goals apiece. The available match report, however, does not establish their playing time or the full extent of their responsibilities.

A first season takes shape through repeated performances

A comfortable victory can bring new players into view. Subsequent games reveal how consistently they can contribute.

For Fordham’s three freshmen, the next points of interest will come against different defensive approaches and in games with narrower margins. How do they respond when the first attacking option disappears? How quickly do they adjust when opponents change their coverage? What do they contribute to possessions that end with someone else taking the shot?

Those questions deserve a place in the assessment of a developing player. Goals provide clear, measurable information. Movement away from the ball, defensive recovery and the choice of the next pass require closer observation.

A strong performance gives us a reason to notice a player. What follows shows how they earn their place.

Three names to follow

There is no need to attach sweeping predictions to the Iona game. The performance is interesting on its own terms: three freshmen contributed nine goals to a Fordham team that keeps winning.

Veklyuk, Kulas and Dragosevic offer a starting point for following the transition into college water polo through actual performances. As the season progresses, there will be value in returning to their names and examining what has changed.

Who has taken on greater responsibility? Who has found another way to contribute? Who has become more consistent?

That development deserves coverage while it is happening.