Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men's Water Polo Opens Season at Navy Labor Day Open this Weekend
8/31/2007 8:00:00 AM | Men's Water Polo
Aug. 31, 2007
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Finishing above .500 in two of the last three years while annually facing one of the most daunting schedules among Eastern programs, the Bucknell men's water polo program has drawn the attention of the water polo community. The Bison finished the 2006 campaign nationally ranked, lost just one senior to graduation, and begin 2007 ranked 18th in the country.
Bucknell will put that ranking to the test when it opens the season against a pair of nationally ranked teams at the Navy Labor Day Open this weekend. The Bison will face No. 2 Cal at 12:40 p.m. Saturday and will then take on No. 13 Pacific at 6:30 p.m. Sunday will feature an 8 a.m. exhibition matchup with Northern Virginia and a 4:10 p.m. contest with Queens (N.Y.). The first three games will be played at Lejeune Hall, while the final game of the weekend will be held at Scott Natatorium.
A lengthy offseason training trip to Hungary and Slovakia strengthened an already cohesive unit that features a strong seven-person senior class. That group of seniors, which has contained some of the most productive players on the team each of the last two years, will be counted on to lead the team once again. In fact, four of the top five scorers on last year's squad are members of this season's senior class.
Co-captains Jason Rechel and Kyle Roslyn have shown marked improvement every year and the same should be expected as they enter their final campaign as Bison. Rechel, who is one of only two Bucknell players to start all 60 games over the last two years, has seen his goal total steadily rise from 16 goals as a freshman to 38 as a sophomore to 45 last fall. Similarly, his point total has skyrocketed from 31 to 52, and finally to 80 last year. Both his goal and point totals ranked second on the team last season.
Rechel was also Bucknell's primary sprinter, winning 48 times in 102 chances. Only 10 times did he not participate in a sprint. Always a good defensive player, Rechel also tallied a career-high 38 steals last year as he moved into 11th place on Bucknell's career steals list with 82.
"Jason has really matured," commented Bison head coach John Zeigler, who won his 100th career game last year. "He played with New York Athletic Club all summer and is really hungry heading into his senior year. All aspects of his game have blossomed, with scoring being just a small part of that."
Roslyn's career has taken a similar route to Rechel's, starting off as a solid player as a freshman and now embarking upon star status as a senior. He tallied career highs with 32 goals and 23 assists last year to rank third on the team with a career-high 55 points. A strong defensive player as well, Roslyn was third on the squad with 36 steals and ranks ninth in Bison history with 88.
"I anticipate a strong year from Kyle," predicted Zeigler, who is a 1991 Bucknell graduate. "The timing is right for him to have an excellent senior season since he is coming off a couple of small injuries that will not bother him this year."
Fellow senior Mark Masterson joined Rechel and Roslyn to form a high-scoring trio that accounted for 228 of Bucknell's 471 points in 2006. He returns for a third season in Orange and Blue and with a career year could approach Bucknell's top-10 goals list. He stands 74 goals shy of the list that no player has joined since Alex Lunding a decade ago.
The top scoring player for the Bison each of the last two years, Masterson will once again be counted on for his offensive firepower. He had 70 points in 2005 and upped that figure to 93 last year.
On the defensive side of the pool, Masterson has also excelled, pacing the team with 53 steals in 2006, 15 more than Rechel's second-place figure. Masterson stands 10th on the career steals list with 85 in his two-year Bucknell tenure.
"Having Mark back really helps this team," said Zeigler. "He will once again have a big role and brings plenty of leadership and experience to the pool."
The fifth-leading scorer on last year's squad was another senior, Josh Sunday. Despite the fact he piled up 23 goals and 31 points, Sunday is best known for his defensive presence. The Mechanicsburg, Pa., native posted a career-high 33 steals as he started 27 games.
"Josh is a little more behind the scenes as far as statistics go," explained Zeigler. "He is one of the most important players on our team and will be the backbone of our two-meter defense. He will score at the other end at times, but if we are running the kind of offense we can, he shouldn't have to score much."
Veterans Lee Anderson and Peter O'Keefe round out the list of seniors who will play on the offensive side of the pool this year. Both have seen limited time their first three years, but Zeigler expects each to fill larger roles this season.
While the senior class possesses a number of familiar names to Bison fans, there is plenty of talent in the other classes as well. Gabriel Heiber and Alex Lampley, both physical players, headline the junior class. Heiber has been solid since the beginning of his freshman campaign and has 40 goals and eight assists in his career. He has led the squad in ejections drawn each of the last two years, posting 48 in 2005 and 33 in 2006.
Lampley came into his own last year and earned the team's Most Improved Player Award as he totaled 10 goals and five assists in 27 games. A valuable reserve, Lampley was third on the team with 22 ejections drawn.
"Gabriel and Alex are the ones we are looking to at the center forward position," stated Zeigler. "Both are ready for a step up and the great thing is there are different strengths and styles with each. Gabriel was a little disappointed with his production last year and we are looking for bigger numbers from him, while Alex is poised for that big breakthrough."
Members of the sophomore class should help the Bison with depth as they improve following a year of experience. Among those expected to challenge for more playing time are Randy Ang, Nick Doyle, Andrew Nelson and Johnny Stupp. Ang saw the most action of the group in 2006, appearing in 19 games off the bench as a rookie when he tallied 11 goals and six assists.
While Bucknell is sure to have plenty of firepower on the offensive side of the pool with so many talented veterans, the goalkeeper position is not devoid of experience with senior Luke Belenky and sophomore Nick Donahue in constant competition for the starting job. Additionally, freshman Miles Gilhuly has been added to the mix this year as he pushes both veterans. Belenky is the incumbent, having started all 28 games last year, but Donahue impressed during the team's trip to Hungary and Slovakia.
"It is going to be really interesting in the cage this year," predicted Zeigler. "Luke has improved each year and has matured into a solid goalie, while Nick showed some flashes of brilliance this summer. We also have one of our most recruited student-athletes in Miles, who will help push the others. Ideally, we would like a situation where we can play multiple goalies. We are excited about the depth we will have at the goalie position."
Belenky has the most experience at goalie, having recorded 176 saves last year, his first as a starter. He played 836 of a possible 895 minutes in goal and registered a .426 save percentage. Donahue was the only other goalie to play, and he made 12 saves in five games.
Headlined by Giluly, Zeigler brought in a strong four-person freshman class that will help the Bison out as they embark upon their demanding schedule that is sure to feature a number of ranked foes, including league rivals Navy and Princeton.
Bucknell Schedule at Navy Labor Day Open
Saturday, Sept. 1
No. 18 Bucknell vs. No. 2 California, 12:40 p.m.
No. 18 Bucknell vs. No. 13 Pacific, 6:30 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 2
No. 18 Bucknell vs. Northern Virginia, 8 a.m. (exhibition)
No. 18 Bucknell vs. Queens (N.Y.), 4:10 p.m.
