Bucknell University Athletics
Four Bison Men's Water Polo Players Honored with Positions on CWPA All-Conference Team
11/23/2008 7:00:00 AM | Men's Water Polo
Nov. 23, 2008
LEWISBURG, Pa. – While the Bucknell men's water polo team can place no higher than fifth at this weekend's Eastern Championship, it does stand atop the Collegiate Water Polo Association Southern Division with four all-conference honorees, it was announced at this weekend's CWPA Awards Dinner. Sophomore Richie Hyden was named first-team all-conference, while senior co-captains Gabriel Heiber and Alex Lampley, as well as junior Nick Donahue, earned second-team plaudits. The four all-conference selections are the most for the Bison since 1998.
Bucknell's four all-conference choices equals Princeton for the most among Southern Division teams. It is the first all-conference honor for each of the four Bison, although Hyden was the Southern Division Rookie of the Year in 2007.
Hyden, who joins Jason Rechel and Brad Roslyn as the only Bucknell players to earn first-team citations since 2002, has put together an impressive offensive season. He leads the Bison, and is among the nation's leaders with 84 goals. Additionally, he has 49 assists and 133 points. The last Bucknell players with more goals was Alex Lundig (93 in 1997), more assists was Kevin Permisohn (65 in 2000) and more points was Sean Tierney (152 in 1993).
In addition to his offensive output, Hyden, who went over the 200-point plateau for his career on Saturday, has won 39 of 54 sprints and has 27 steals.
Heiber, who is expected to play in his Bucknell-record 124th career game in the fifth-place game of the Eastern Championship on Sunday, has been a key cog to the Bison's success over the last four years. He has a career-high 61 ejections drawn this year, which is second on the team, and in Bison single-season annals, to Lampley, who has 65. Heiber's 180 career ejections drawn tops that list.
A physical center forward, Heiber has posted career highs in goals (38), assists (12) and points (50) this season after entering the 2008 campaign with career totals of 54 goals, 13 assists and 67 points.
Like his fellow co-captain Heiber, Lampley is a physical center forward. A veteran of 98 career games, including 27 this year, Lampley leads the team in ejections drawn this season and ranks third in Bison history with 124. He also has 19 steals and 25 points on 22 goals and three assists. The 22 goals are the second-highest figure of his career.
Donahue, the first Bison goalie to earn CWPA All-Southern Division honors since Zach Blixt in 2008, leads the team with 207 saves and a solid .521 save percentage. After splitting time with Miles Gilhuly for the first half of the season he has blossomed in the latter part of the campaign. Donahue has seven double-figure save outings over his last 13 games played, including both of the first two at the Eastern Championship.
One of Donahue's best games of the season came against nationally ranked Princeton at Kinney Natatorium when he stopped a then career-high 14 shots to help the Bison to a thrilling 11-6 victory. It was the most saves for a Bison goalie since 2005 and Donahue later surpassed it with 16 stops against St. Francis (N.Y.).
Bucknell (16-16) will wrap up its 2008 campaign on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. against Johns Hopkins in Annapolis, Md. With a victory the Bison will finish over .500 for the third consecutive year for the first time since 1997-1999. Additionally, Bucknell will finish in the top five at the competitive Eastern Championship for the fifth straight year.
CWPA All-Southern Division Teams
First Team
Jeff Cole, Princeton
Brendan Colgan, Princeton
Richie Hyden, Bucknell
Josh Kratz, Johns Hopkins
Mike Merlone, Princeton
Mike Mulvey, Navy
Andrew Schonhoff, Mercyhurst
Second Team
Chuck Baker, Navy
Nick Donahue, Bucknell
Nick Eddy, George Washington
Gabriel Heiber, Bucknell
Alex Lampley, Bucknell
Eric Vreeland, Princeton
David Zenk, George Washington
MVP: Brendan Colgan, Princeton
Rookie of the Year: Mark Strickand, Johns Hopkins
Coach of the Year: Luis Nicolao, Princeton
