Category: Water Polo

Chris McCree

Senior Writer

Coming into the event as the reigning champion, the men’s water polo team claimed second place at the Southern Championships this past weekend in Annapolis, Md. Holding a three-goal lead in the finals at the half, the Orange and Blue were outscored by five goals in the third quarter against Navy and eventually fell to the Midshipmen 9-8.

“Overall, I think we played well as a team,” Stefan Aleksic ’16 said. “The fact that we were in the finals the second year in a row is showing us that we are moving in the right direction.”

Prior to the final contest, the Bison claimed victories over Washington & Jefferson and Mercyhurst in the first and second rounds, respectively.

In the first game, the Bison jumped out to a sizeable 7-3 lead at the half and did not let up from there, as the team would go on to win 12-5. Aleksic scored three goals in the contest and was joined by Julian Colina ’14 and Alex Nowlin ’14, who each tallied two of their own.

Later on in the day, the Bison faced a tougher opponent, as Mercyhurst came out of the gates firing. Down by three at the half, the Orange and Blue were able to take control in the second half and escape with an 8-6 victory. Aleksic added four more goals in the contest.

“We had three hard games this weekend and two of them were pretty close. But I think we showed the strength and mentality of this team in the semi-final game against Mercyhurst,” Aleksic said. “We had an amazing comeback in the second half, not allowing them to score more than one goal, which enabled us to win that game.”

In the finals, the Bison started the contest strong, scoring six goals in the first half to Navy’s three. From there, the team could not manage to find the back of the net until 12 minutes into the half. Heading into the fourth and down two goals, the Bison rallied back with two goals from Jack Else ’14 and Aleksic to tie the game at eight apiece. Then, with just under five minutes remaining, the Midshipmen found the back of the net to take the match.

“I think this tournament was a great indicator on what we have been doing good so far and what we still have to work on to improve ourselves,” Aleksic said. “Our biggest problem was staying consist in the way we play. We would play really well for a certain time, but then we would get out of our rhythm and allow our opponents easy goals. I think we outplayed Navy for three quarters, but that one quarter where we did not play well cost us a win in finals.”

In taking second, the Bison were still able to earn a bid in the CWPA Championship, which takes place on Nov. 22-24. The bid marks the 14th consecutive trip for the Bison, who hope to earn an NCAA Championship berth by winning the event.

Katherine Harris

Senior Writer

The men’s water polo team dominated over Fall Break, racking up four wins in its home tournament versus Navy, George Washington, Johns Hopkins, and Princeton.

“All the wins were great team wins where everyone contributed,” Mike Kimble ’14 said. “Our defense requires that we help each other, and this is exactly why we as a team are a solid group that will beat any team.”

The Bison began their weekend on Oct. 12 in Kinney Natatorium against Navy’s squad. Sean Daley ’17 led the way on the offensive end, scoring three goals and recording five assists for a total of eight points, a team-high for the season. Jack Else ’14 and Kimble also scored three goals each, leading the team to an 11-10 victory.

The Orange and Blue continued to succeed on the offensive end when they took on George Washington that evening. Else recorded three goals again, while Kimble and Stefan Aleksic ’16 both scored two each. On the defensive end, Keegan Williams ’15 helped the Bison to an eventual 12-9 victory with his nine saves in the match, totaling 17 that day.

“The new press defense we are running is really working well for our team and is allowing us to make a lot of steals, which leads to more goals,” Williams said. “We will continue to work on playing against a press offense and moving the ball around the perimeter, working for our centers.”

The Orange and Blue then took on John Hopkins on Oct. 13 with the chance to extend their weekend winning streak. Williams had a very strong match in goal, recording 14 saves and three steals. Else and Kimble scored four and three goals respectively, while Aleksic and Julian Colina ’14 both had two in the 13-6 victory.

Else led the Bison to victory once again in the afternoon match against Princeton for Senior Day. Else and Stephen Norton ’14 scored four and two goals respectively, while fellow seniors Colina, Alex Nowlin, Kimble, and Andrew Somers also had strong offensive performances. The win over 12th-ranked Princeton was their first victory over a ranked team since last year’s Eastern Championship, and it brought their record to 10-4 for the season.

“Our seniors all had great final home games, and our sophomores continued to provide strong consistent play,” Williams said. “We also had our freshmen step up and really contribute to our success that weekend.”

The Orange and Blue wrapped up their league play during the weekend with a 5-3 record in the CWPA Southern Division to secure second place. Else and Williams were named Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week for the conference, respectively, and the team moved into 20th nationally following their performance over the weekend. The Bison will take on Pacific and then play four games in the Santa Clara Rodeo this upcoming weekend.

“We can never be complacent,” Kimble said. “Teams are always getting better from year to year and we can never be happy with success from last year. If we aren’t improving then we are losing.”

Katherine Harris

Senior Writer 

The men’s water polo team competed hard on the road last weekend, taking down Navy before falling to George Washington and Johns Hopkins.

The Bison started out strong on Sept. 21 when they traveled to Annapolis, Md. to take on Navy in their first game of CWPA Southern Division play. Nick Hale ’16 led the Orange and Blue offense in the match, tallying three goals and one assist. Hale was backed up by Alex Nowlin ’14, who netted one goal of his own along with three assists. On the defensive side, Keegan Williams ’15 held up his end of the pool with 10 saves in goal, allowing the Bison to finish with an 8-6 victory.

“I think the team did well this past weekend,” Jack Else ’14 said. “It was great to beat Navy at their pool but we still have some work to do.” 

The Orange and Blue then drove to Washington D.C. to take on George Washington that evening. The Bison had strong offensive performances from many players, including Stefan Aleksic ’16 with four goals and Else and Julian Colina ’14 who both tallied three goals. Hale also had two goals on the night, but even with his contribution the team was unable to surmount the offensive onslaught of their opponent, losing 15-14 in the last minute of the game.

The Bison regrouped to take on a tough Johns Hopkins squad on Sept. 22. Else once again performed strongly for the Orange and Blue, tallying five goals on the day. He was backed up by teammate Mike Kimble ’14 with three goals, along with Stephen Norton ’14 with two. Williams had an even better day in goal for the squad, coming close to his career-high with 14 saves. Unfortunately, the team was still unable to pull out a victory, losing 14-12.

“It’s an ongoing process,” Else said. “The other two games this weekend were tough because we had to deal with shallow pools and we were out of our element. I was happy with the way I played but I always feel like I can do better.” 

The Bison will have a week off to practice and rest before continuing their season on Oct. 6 at Princeton.

“We will focus on defense and six on five these next two weeks in preparation for Princeton,” Else said.

Billy Tyler

Senior Writer

The men’s water polo team emerged from the Bison Invite, in Kinney Natatorium this past weekend with four wins and one loss. The tournament featured eight teams, including the Bison, over the three-day weekend. The Bison posted a 2-1 record in games that counted on their record and two wins in exhibition games against Diablo Valley and Toronto.

The Bison set the tone early in their opening game against Salem International. Thirteen different Bison scored goals en route to a 19-4 victory. There was scoring early and often, but the immense offensive effort was spearheaded by Stefan Aleksic ’16, who scored a team-high four goals in the game. With his team holding an 11-3 halftime advantage, head coach John McBride was able to use his entire roster in the game. Even with this shuffling of players, the Bison received solid production from everyone on the team. All eight of the team’s second half goals came from underclassmen.

In their second game of the tournament, the Bison faced stiffer competition against Mercyhurst. In a tight game which featured four ties during the final 18 minutes of the contest, the Bison were unable to secure the victory and fell to Mercyhurst 9-8. Leading the offensive charge for this Bison in this tough loss was Julian Colina ’14 who scored one goal in each of the game’s four quarters to go along with his two assists. In the net, goalkeeper Keegan Williams ’15 had 10 saves for the Bison.

Following the tough loss, the Bison entered the final day with a determination to leave the tournament with a winning record. In their game against Fordham, the Bison built up a 7-4 halftime advantage. Then, in a game that was dominated by many scoring runs, the Bison scored four straight second-half goals that blew the game open. The explosive Bison offense from the tournament’s first game was back on display, led by its seniors. Eleven of the 14 goals scored by the Bison in their 14-7 victory were scored by seniors, including five by Jack Else ’14, four by Colina, and one apiece by Alex Nowlin ’14 and Mike Kimble ’14. The Bison also received another solid performance from Williams, who had 10 saves against Fordham. This double-digit game gave Williams 52 saves on the season and 101 in his career.

The next games for the Bison will feature the opening of league play with games tomorrow at Navy and George Washington, followed by a match at Johns Hopkins on Sept. 22.

Billy Tyler

Senior Writer

The men’s water polo team opened its season this past weekend with three wins at the Navy Invite. This is the team’s third 3-0 start in its three years under Head Coach John McBride.

The tournament and season began with a thrilling contest against Notre Dame (Ohio) on Sept. 7. Despite leading 6-5 at halftime, the Bison found themselves facing an 11-8 deficit entering the fourth quarter. A quick flurry of three goals in the quarter’s opening minutes eliminated this difference and posed a back and forth battle to the game’s end. With the Bison down 14-13 in the game’s final minute, Mike Kimble ’14 found the back of the net with 22 seconds remaining to tie the game. Then with the game seemingly headed to overtime, Stefan Aleksic ’16 took a shot with 1.6 seconds left on the clock that snuck past the Notre Dame goalkeeper to seal the win.

In addition to his last second heroics, Aleksic ended the game with three goals and four assists. Other key contributors to the big win for the Bison were Jack Else ’14, who had a team-high four goals as well as Ratimir Babic ’17 and Sean Daley ’17, who tallied two goals apiece.

The next game of the tournament against Gannon proved an easier contest than the season opener. The Bison had a solid first half, leading 8-4 at the break. But their strength showed in the third quarter, as they outscored Gannon 6-2. RJ Moore ’17 led this offensive explosion, as he scored six goals in only his third collegiate start. The Bison offense received production from Babic, Else, Julian Colina ’14, and Alex Nowlin ’14 with multiple goals.

The Bison succeeded in carrying the momentum gathered in the tournament’s first two games into its final one against Iona. This 12-7 victory followed a similar pattern to the victory over Gannon; a halftime edge of 6-4 was turned into a 9-5 lead, following a great third quarter. The star of this game was goalkeeper Keegan Williams ’15, who recorded a career-high 15 saves in only his fourth career start. This added to his total of seven against Iona to complete an impressive day of work between the pipes.

The Bison will now look to match last weekend’s strong performance this weekend. The team hosts the Bison Invite from tonight through Sept. 15 and will play five games during this three-day period.

Alex Wagner

Senior Editor

The men’s water polo team ended last season on the cusp of a truly breakthrough performance. The Bison fell just short of competing in their first NCAA Championship tournament at the end of last season after a crushing 10-9 loss to St. Francis (N.Y.) in the Eastern Championship title game. A win in that game would have sealed their first trip to the NCAA’s in 27 years.

Despite the loss, the Bison have a lot to be proud of. Their second place finish at Easterns marked their best performance since 1993. They also performed well out of the pool, placing six athletes on the Collegiate Water Polo Association Scholar-Athlete team.

The Orange and Blue’s strong postseason run earned them the 14th spot on the NCAA national rankings, which is also where they will begin the 2013 season. They are ranked behind traditional West Coast powers such as the University of Southern California (USC) and University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), but as far as East Coast teams, the Bison are ranked behind only one rival: St. Francis Brooklyn.

There should be little to no drop off in performance in the 2013 season for the Bison as they return with five starters. One of the most important figures will be Stefan Aleksic ’16, who led the Bison last year on the offensive front with 101 points as a first-year. He will be reinforced by a strong senior class of Julian Colina ’14, Jack Else ’14, Mike Kimble ’14, Stephen Norton ’14, Alex Nowlin ’14, and Andrew Somers ’14. Those six players bring a great deal of experience and fire power, combining for 388 career goals between them.

Perhaps the biggest question going into the new season for the Orange and Blue will be the ability of Keegan Williams ’15 to step into the starting goalkeeper role. He has spent his first two years on the team behind previous starter Matt Napleton ’13, who recently graduated and signed to play with Rari Nantes Savona, a team that plays in the highest division of the Italian League. Williams should be able to take what he has learned from Napleton and have a strong first season in goal.

The Orange and Blue will begin their 2013 season on Sept. 7 at the Navy Invite in Annapolis, Md. where they will play four games in two days.

Alex Wagner

Sports Editor

Following their first place finish at the Southern Championships, the No. 15 men’s water polo team put out another elite performance at the Eastern Championship in Princeton, N.J. After defeating Harvard and No. 20 Princeton, the Orange and Blue fell in overtime to No. 12 St. Francis (N.Y.). The Bison had not reached the Eastern Championship finals since 1993.

The Orange and Blue began their play with a 15-13 win against Harvard. The Bison beat Harvard twice earlier in the season by a combined 10 goals. Alex Nowlin ’14 led the Bison, registering four goals and three assists in the contest. Brian Barron ’13 also had a good showing, adding two goals and five assists of his own. Stefan Aleksic ’16, with three goals and two assists, and Nick Hale ’16, with two goals and three assists, showed the strength of the underclassmen as well. Matt Napleton ’13 performed strongly in goal, making seven saves.

Although the Orange and Blue jumped out to an early three goal lead, they had to overcome a two goal deficit in the second half to pick up the win against Harvard, the fourth seed in the Northern Division.

The Bison survived a much tougher test the next day, when they beat Princeton 7-6 in the semifinal. Aleksic scored the eventual game-winning goal with just 1:48 left to play. He was the only Bison to score twice in the match. The game featured five lead changes and no team ever led by more than two goals. Going into the fourth quarter, the game was tied 5-5. The Orange and Blue then had goals from Barron and Aleksic, while only surrendering one goal, allowing them to hang on for the win.

While there were no particular offensive standouts, the Bison had a balanced attack as six different players ended up on the score sheet. Napleton had another superb night in goal, racking up 11 saves and a steal against the Princeton attack.

The second win of the weekend for the Bison sealed their meeting in the final with No. 12 St. Francis (N.Y.). The Orange and Blue had faced them twice already this season, losing both contests by just one goal. Unfortunately, their third meeting would be more of the same, as the Bison fell 10-9 in overtime.

The Bison kept the game close for the first half, but they could not hold off St. Francis in the third quarter, when they were outscored 4-1, and they then entered into the fourth quarter down 8-5. Barron and Aleksic each scored early in the fourth to bring the Bison close, and Nowlin scored with under three minutes to play, tying the game and sending it into overtime.

Jack Else ’14 scored a clutch goal for the Bison just 30 seconds in overtime to give his team the advantage. St. Francis answered once again with a goal on their next possession, and then took the lead for good with under two minutes left to play on a power play goal.

Despite the loss, the Bison had many achievements to be proud of. Barron was named First Team All-Eastern Championship, while Napleton, Else and Aleksic were named to the second team. In addition, Aleksic was given the honor of being Rookie of the Tournament.

Although they fell just short of their first NCAA tournament berth in 27 years, the Bison certainly achieved a great amount in the 2012 campaign.

Scott Padula
Staff Writer

Two weeks removed from the Santa Clara Rodeo, the men’s water polo team hosted the Southern Championships last weekend. The Orange and Blue defended their home pool in historic fashion, defeating George Washington, Washington & Jefferson, Navy and Mercyhurst to capture its first-ever Southern Championships Title. The title marked the first conference title for the Bison since 1985. Additionally, the four wins from Nov. 2-4 calculated a 9-1 record at the Kinney Natatorium.

The Bison started the tournament by defeating George Washington 13-12 in a second sudden death overtime period. The Orange and Blue got out to a fast start, taking a 4-2 lead after the first quarter. George Washington responded by scoring two goals in the second while holding the Bison scoreless. In the third, the Orange and Blue regained the lead by scoring four goals to the Colonials’ three. Trailing throughout the fourth, the Colonials responded by tying the game with 21 seconds left in regulation. George Washington struck first in overtime with what would be their final goal of the game. The Bison pushed the game to sudden death overtime by scoring on their first possession of the second overtime period. After a scoreless first sudden death overtime period, co-captain Brian Barron ’13 found the back of the net in the second sudden death overtime period. Co-captains Barron and Matt Napleton ’13 demonstrated their leadership in the victory. Barron scored on three occasions, tallied five assists and won all eight sprints while Napleton registered 20 saves. Other strong performances came from Jack Else ’14, Mike Kimble ’14 and Stefan Aleksic ’16 who all had multi-goal games with four goals, two goals and two goals, respectively. Else and Kimble also combined for an impressive 11 ejections drawn in the first Bison win of the weekend.

To start their games on Nov. 3, the Bison defeated Washington & Jefferson 18-8. The Orange and Blue scored early and often, finding the back of the net seven times in the first quarter while preventing the opposition from scoring. The second quarter was more of the same for the Bison, as they outscored their opponent 5-1. With a comfortable 11 goal margin, the Orange and Blue coasted to a 18-8 victory in the second half. Impressively, 15 different Bison tallied a point in the decisive victory, while the team as a whole registered 16 assists on 29 shots. Andrew Somers ’14 and Andrew Roberts ’16 led the way for the Orange and Blue with four points each.

In the team’s third game of the weekend, the Orange and Blue won a nail-biter against No. 14 Navy 13-11. The Bison jumped out to an early lead, thanks in part to a first quarter in which the Orange and Blue outscored the Midshipmen 5-3. In response, Navy held the Bison scoreless in the second while tallying three goals of their own. At the half, the score was 6-5 in favor of the Midshipmen. The Orange and Blue answered in the third, retaking the lead 10-9 by outscoring Navy 5-3. Despite Navy’s best efforts, the Bison proved to be too much to handle in the fourth, scoring three goals to the Midshipmen’s two. Yet again, the most notable Bison performance came from Barron. In the highly contested affair, Barron found the back of the net six times, tallied three assists and won two sprints. Napleton was also strong for the Orange and Blue in the net. In 32 minutes of play, Napleton recorded 14 saves. Else also earned six ejections drawn.

Riding a wave of momentum, the Bison defeated Mercyhurst 9-4 in the championship game. The Orange and Blue jumped out of the gates in the first quarter, scoring three goals without allowing a single Mercyhurst goal. Although the Lakers cut the lead to two by the intermission, the winner of the contest was never in question. In the second half. the Bison outscored the Lakers 5-2. In doing so, the Orange and Blue captured their first Southern Championships Title. For the third time in four games, Barron led the charge with seven points coming from two goals and five assists. Aleksic and Julian Colina ’14 also had multi-goal performances with two goals apiece. In between the pipes, Napleton recorded 14 saves and one steal.

The Orange and Blue will conclude their season this weekend when they compete in the Eastern Championship in Princeton, N.J. The first opponent the Bison are slated to play is Harvard, a squad the Orange and Blue defeated twice during the season. The action will begin Nov. 16.

Scott Padula

Staff Writer

The men’s water polo team went 2-3 when they traveled to Santa Clara, Calif. to compete in the Santa Clara Rodeo. The Bison started by defeating host team No. 19 Santa Clara 10-7 and then dropped their next three decisions to Cal Baptist 6-5, No. 13 Air Force 9-6 and No. 4 Stanford 14-2. They bounced back in their final game of the invitational by besting No. 16 UC Davis 14-6. The Orange and Blue are now 11-13 as they head into championship season.

To kick off the weekend, the Orange and Blue faced Santa Clara. The Bison and Broncos played an even game throughout. The Bison gained an edge in the third quarter by outscoring the Broncos 5-3. Jack Else ’14 led the Bison in scoring with a hat trick. Mike Kimble ’14 and Nick Hale ’16 rounded out the Bison with multi-goal performances, netting two goals apiece.

“We were finally able to put together a solid set of games and that was a huge positive going into playoff season. Our team defense looked fantastic and our offense was really on point. If we can stick to our fundamentals and not get flustered during games, we should be able to make a run during the championship season,” Kimble said.

In their second game, the Orange and Blue lost to Cal Baptist. The teams traded goals regularly in the first two quarters, leading to a tie at half. The Orange and Blue scored the lone goal in the third quarter, taking a 5-4 advantage into the fourth. The Lancers held the Bison scoreless in the final quarter while scoring two goals of their own. Despite the loss, co-captain Matt Napleton ’13 looked strong in goal, recording 16 saves in the 32 minutes of play. Again, Else and Hale led the Orange and Blue offensive with two goals each. Else also tallied four ejections drawn. On defense, co-captain Brian Barron ’13 registered a team-high four steals in the contest.

The Orange and Blue fared worse in their second game of the day against Air Force. In the first half, the Falcons scored five times, while the Orange and Blue only found the back of the net once. Despite scoring five times in the second half, the Bison could not overcome the four goal first half deficit. The Orange and Blue had a very balanced attack against the Falcons with all six Bison goals coming from different players. Stefan Aleksic ’16 was high point man for the Bison with three points coming from one goal and two assists. In goal, Napleton recorded 15 saves.

“There were times in the weekend where we were not as focused as we should have been, and it showed in our play. Our offense was inconsistent. We showed flashes of brilliance and stretches of where we couldn’t get much going. We need to become more consistent offensively, which will in turn help our defense,” Napleton said.

Next, the Orange and Blue faced Stanford. The Orange and Blue were held scoreless in the first, second and fourth quarters. The two Bison goals came in the third from Aleksic and Kimble. Splitting time in goal, both Napleton and Keegan Williams ’15 made eight saves and allowed seven goals in 16 minutes of play.

The Bison showed their resilience in their final game of the weekend by defeating UC Davis. The Orange and Blue fell behind 4-2 early in the first quarter, but responded by rattling off 11 straight goals. By the time the Aggies ended the 11-0 run, the Orange and Blue had a 13-4 lead. The Bison dominated the second quarter, thanks to a tremendous effort from Aleksic, who had nine points from four goals and five assists. This placed him in a tie with Barron for the most points tallied by a Bison in a game. Julian Colina ’14, Kimble and Barron also had multi-goal games. In net, Napleton stopped 10 shots, pushing his career-high season save total to 252.

“The weekend gave us some good experience and confidence heading into the end of our season. We proved we can win against some high level competition, and that if we can bring a high level of focus to each game, we are a tough team to beat,” Napleton said.

The Orange and Blue will have a week off to train before hosting the Southern Championships on Nov. 2-4.

Scott Padula

Staff Writer

The men’s water polo team went 3-1 last weekend in a string of games when it hosted CWPA rivals Johns Hopkins, Navy, George Washington and No. 16 Princeton. The Bison are now 5-1 at home on the season.

On Oct. 13, the Orange and Blue began their home stint by defeating Johns Hopkins in overtime 12-10. The match was back and forth throughout, most notably marked by Matt Napleton ’13, who recorded 16 saves. In the field, the Orange and Blue had five different Bison tallying a pair of goals, with a total of seven Bison registering a point. Notable performances came from Jack Else ’14, who drew five ejections, and Brian Barron ’13, who won all six swim-offs, including two extremely important ones in overtime.

The second game against No. 14 Navy was Senior Night for the Orange and Blue. Led by senior captains Napleton and Barron, the Bison fought hard but fell to the Midshipmen 17-11. The contest was close for the majority of play, with the Orange and Blue only trailing by one entering the fourth quarter. In the fourth, the Midshipmen outscored the Bison 6-1 in the final eight minutes of play. Despite the losing effort, the seniors saved some of their best performances of the weekend for this game. Barron found the back of the net eight times, recorded an assist and won two of his four sprints. Barron’s eight goal tally was the most by a Bison since 2000. In goal, Napleton stopped 11 shots in 32 minutes of action, and  additionally registered an assist in the game.

To kick off action on Oct. 14, the Orange and Blue defeated George Washington 13-8. The Bison outscored the Colonials 4-1 in the second quarter, giving them a three goal lead into the half. Alex Nowlin ’14 led the offense for the Bison, netting five goals and tallying two assists. Joining him with multi-point performances were three other Bison: Barron, Else and Stefan Aleksic ’16. Else also matched his career-high for ejections drawn in a game with six. In goal, Napleton made an impressive 15 saves.

In the final game of the weekend, the Orange and Blue defeated No. 16 Princeton 10-9. The Bison led in the first quarter 3-0 and took a 5-2 tie into the intermission. In the third quarter, the Bison held the three goal lead by matching Princeton’s three scores with three of their own. With 49 seconds left to play in the fourth quarter, Princeton tied the score at 9-9 with a buzzer-beating shot. The Bison responded when Else drew a five-meter penalty shot with 36 seconds left to play. Barron found the back of the net, giving the Orange and Blue an eventual win. Barron scoured four goals and registered an assist. Else and Kimble were also invaluable to the Bison, with four and three ejections drawn, respectively. In the cage, Napleton recorded 13 saves.

Next up for the Bison will be the Santa Clara Rodeo in Santa Clara, Calif. on Oct. 19-21.