Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men's Water Polo Welcomes Large Recruiting Class
6/4/2004 8:00:00 AM | Men's Water Polo
June 4, 2004
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell men's water polo team will have 10 new faces on the sidelines this fall when nine freshmen join the team, and a junior transfer student debuts in the Orange and Blue. Head coach John Zeigler has put together a recruiting class that represents six different states, including players from California, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.
Lee Anderson (Palo Alto, Calif./Palo Alto), Lucas Belenky (Kensington, Md./German School), Trey Fleming (La Jolla, Calif./The Bishop's School), Jared Gray (Irvine, Calif./Woodbridge), Joseph Metcalf (Knoxville, Tenn./Phillips Exeter Academy (N.H.)), Peter O'Keefe (Philadelphia, Pa./William Penn Charter School), Jason Rechel (Columbus, Ohio/Thomas Worthington), Kyle Roslyn (Philadelphia, Pa./William Penn Charter School) and Josh Sunday (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) are the members of the class of 2008. Sean Robinson (Charlotte, N.C./San Marino (Calif.)) joins the list of newcomers as a transfer from Clemson University
Anderson, a driver, closed out his high school career as captain of his squad. He led the team in goals (44), assists (23) and steals (62) in his final year, while also posting a .900 sprints won percentage. The two-time team MVP and first-team all-league selection played for the Stanford Water Polo Club, and was a member of the 16A Team in the 2002 Junior Olympics. In addition to water polo, Anderson also collected league championships in the 50-meter freestyle and medley relay during swimming season.
"Lee has tremendous speed and should be a solid driver for the team," commented Zeigler. "He has been a leader on his squad for much of his high school career and comes from a strong Northern California league and club program."
Belenky becomes the only Maryland native on the roster. A valuable addition to the goalkeeping crew, Belenky has been a member of the North-East Water Polo Zone Team for the past two years. He keeps his skills honed in the off-season with his participation on the Rockville Water Polo Club Team.
"I coached Lucas at our first ever Bison Water Polo camp and he has tremendous potential," said Zeigler. "He possesses a work ethic that any coach likes to see, and I anticipate Lucas challenging for a spot in net right away."
Another goalkeeper, Fleming brings the goalie count on the squad to three, making it one of the deepest positions on the roster. Playing for the San Diego Shores Club Team in addition to his Bishop's School team, Fleming has been an All-Academic Athlete for the last two years. A three-year letterwinner, Fleming was the recipient of the Donnie Gonzales Award at his high school.
"Trey plays on two of the very best high school and club programs in the country," stated Zeigler. "He has served several different roles on those teams and just where he might fit in with the Bison remains to be determined. With his experience, he should challenge for a goalie spot right away this fall."
Gray comes to the Bison with an impressive scholastic resume. The scholar-athlete was a four-year letterwinner in water polo while also playing baseball at Woodbridge High School. A driver on the polo team, Gray was an All-Sea View League player in 2002 and 2003, and picked up the team's most valuable player award his final three seasons. In his senior campaign, he was named to the All CIF-Southern Section Honorable Mention Team, and he served as a member of the South Orange County Water Polo All-Star Team.
"Jared has the right water polo blood in his genes," commented Zeigler. "His mother, Dion, was the first women's water polo goalkeeper inducted into the United States Water Polo Hall of Fame. Jared is a versatile driver who was relied on heavily by his team for both scoring and defense. He certainly has the potential to make an immediate impact for the Bison."
Metcalf, an expected center defender for the Bucknell water polo team, will also be offering his services to the Bison swimming program. A four-year letterwinner in both sports, Metcalf was named to the New England Tournament First-Team in both his junior and senior seasons. Also the two-time MVP, his squad captured four-straight New England Championships during his scholastic career. A 2002 honorable mention All-American, Metcalf was also an All-Scholastic selection in 2002 and 2003.
"At 6'4", Joseph's large stature and speed to go with that size will make him a nice fit initially into our defensive plans," said Zeigler. "As the New England League MVP, he was relied on for more than just defense and his balanced game will help him see much action for the Bison right away."
O'Keefe, former high school teammate of current Bison Brad Roslyn and incoming freshman Kyle Roslyn, brings a wealth of water polo skills to the Bucknell squad. A member of the Greater Philadelphia Water Polo Club Team, O'Keefe was a four-year participant on varsity for William Penn Charter. An all-conference selection, the utility player also earned the Penn Charter/Germantown Academy Day MVP award.
"Peter has size and strength and was counted on in high school to defend the best player on opposing teams," stated Zeigler. "He is a very versatile player who will assist the Orange and Blue in both defensive and offensive roles. He has seen high levels of experience through his club program and should adapt well to our style of play."
Rechel comes to Bucknell from a very successful high school team that won the state championship in his final two seasons. A three-time All-Ohio First-Team member, the driver was named the Most Valuable Player of the state tournament his senior year. A member of the Central Ohio Water Polo Club, Rechel was selected to play for the Midwest Zone Team the past two years, and was chosen to represent the Midwest Zone at the National Team selection tryouts.
"Jason has the kind of speed necessary to compete in the league Bucknell plays in," commented Zeigler. "He has been a dominant swimmer in Ohio, a state known more for swimming than water polo, but he has accomplished his share in the water polo world as well. As MVP of the state on the state championship team, he has clearly been a go-to guy. Jason has also seen significant experience at the zone level and should make an impact on the team right away."
Kyle Roslyn should feel right at home with his older brother Brad, a junior on the team, and high school teammate O'Keefe in the water with him. Roslyn was a four-year letterwinner and starter in high school, captaining the squad his junior and senior seasons. A utility player, the three-time all-league selection was named the MVP of his conference as a senior. Roslyn was also a member of the Youth Northeast Zone team as a sophomore and junior, and in his senior season played for the Junior Northeast Zone team.
"Kyle is a top eastern recruit who should make an immediate impact to the squad," said Zeigler. "He has played water polo at a very high level for the last few years and should have no trouble adapting to the College game. We will look to him in primarily a driver role, and his overall talent should help with both scoring and defense."
Sunday comes to BU from Cumberland Valley High School in nearby Mechanicsburg, Pa., which is Zeigler's alma mater. A four-year letterwinner in both water polo and swimming, the utility player capped his career as captain of both squads. The Harrisburg Water Polo Club team member improved from Third-Team All-State status as a junior to a first-team selection this season. A member of the Northeast Zone team at the Premier League, Sunday was also an All-American swimmer for Cumberland Valley.
"Josh has the great combination of both the size necessary to play the center and center-defender position and good speed, which is unusual for his position," said Zeigler. "He has tremendous strength and raw talent and with more experience, will develop into a significant role player on the team."
BU's final addition to the roster is Robinson. A transfer from Clemson, Robinson was responsible for helping to start a club water polo program at the South Carolina school. A center forward, Robinson played high school water polo for San Marino High School in California before moving to Charlotte, N.C. for his senior season. At San Marino, he was a second-team all-league player.
"Sean's transfer into Bucknell will have a tremendous impact on the team," stated Zeigler. "Sean is a very versatile player, and made an immediate impact on the team this spring after he transferred. He should play a heavy role at both the center forward position, as well as in counterattack."
The 2003 Bucknell water polo team posted a 10-20 record which included a third place showing at the Southern Division Championship and a seventh place at Eastern's.
