Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men's Water Polo Hosts Southern Championships this Weekend
11/5/2009 7:00:00 AM | Men's Water Polo
Nov. 5, 2009
LEWISBURG, Pa. – For the second time in the last four years, Bucknell's Kinney Natatorium will serve as the host site of the men's water polo Southern Championships. The three-day, 17-game event will begin Friday night and conclude with the championship game on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. Bucknell's first contest is scheduled for Saturday at 9 a.m. against Mercyhurst.
Bucknell earned the No. 3 seed in the 10-team field, while Mercyhurst is the No. 6 seed. The Collegiate Water Polo Association Southern Division is divided into the East Region and the West Region. The five East Region teams took the top five spots with Navy and Princeton claiming the top two seeds. The Lakers went 8-0 during conference play and are the highest-seeded West Region squad.
If Bucknell wins, it will play at 4:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon against the winner of Princeton vs. Gannon/Salem International. If the Bison lose their first contest they will play at 7 p.m.
Three nationally ranked teams are in this weekend's field. No. 12 Navy, No. 17 Princeton and No. 20 Bucknell are those three squads that show up in this week's top-20 poll.
Bucknell Men's Water Polo Notebook (14-11, 6-2 CWPA)
• Bucknell has finished in the top four at the Southern Championships nine consecutive years and 11 times in the last 13 years. Each of the last nine years the Bison have finished either third or fourth. Bucknell's last championship game appearance came in 1998.
• With ranked opponents No. 12 Navy and No. 17 Princeton in the Southern Championships field, it is likely Bucknell will face at least one ranked foe this weekend. The Bison are 3-11 against ranked opponents this year, with all three victories have come at Kinney Natatorium.
• The top four teams at the Southern Championships earn automatic berths to the Eastern Championship, which will be contested in two weeks. The winner of the Eastern Championship receives an automatic berth to the NCAA Championship.
• Bucknell last hosted the Southern Championships in 2006 and finished in third place with a 2-1 record. The Bison opened the tournament with a 17-5 victory over Mercyhurst.
• Bucknell has won its opening game at the Southern Championships every year since 2000 and owns a 20-12 record over that span.
• Bucknell has alternated wins and losses over its past seven games. The Bison have just two losing streaks this season, with both being two games.
• Bucknell is 5-1 at Kinney Natatorium this year and 35-18 (.660) since the facility opened in 2003.
• Bucknell has drawn 189 ejections this year, equaling the 2005 team for the third-highest total in program history since the stat began in 1996.
• Bucknell is vying for its fourth consecutive above-.500 finish. The Bison own a 66-53 record over the last four years.
• Bucknell is ranked No. 20 in the latest national poll. It is the sixth straight week the Bison have been ranked. Overall, Bucknell has been ranked eight weeks this year, climbing as high as No. 17.
• Bucknell is 43-1 in its last 44 games it has netted at least 10 goals. The lone loss in that stretch came Sept. 19 against Johns Hopkins (L, 11-10).
• After registering 47 saves in his first 11 games, senior goalie Nick Donahue has accumulated 119 stops in his last 13 contests. He has seven double-figure save outings this year, all in his last 13 contests. The Brooklyn, N.Y., native will enter the Southern Championships with a 426 career saves and a .521 career save percentage.
• Bucknell has been especially strong in the middle two quarters, outscoring opponents 137-118 during those periods.
• Junior Richie Hyden continues to draw closer to the Bucknell career top-10 lists for goals, assists and points. He has 168 goals, 114 assists and 282 points in his three-year career. He is 16 goals, 11 assists and 30 points shy of 10th place in each category.
• Bucknell defeated Penn State Behrend 25-0 on Sunday. It was the first shutout for the Bison since 1999 and it marked their most goals since they defeated Slippery Rock 25-21 in 1998.
• Junior Howie Kalter has been held without a goal just one time this year (vs. No. 3 USC). He has found the back of the net in 37 of his last 38 games and has equaled his career high with a team-best 44 goals this season.
• Hyden leads Bucknell in ejections drawn with a career-high 52 this year. That figure ranks third in single-season program history and he now has 112 in his career, the fourth-highest total on that list.
• Senior co-captain has a team-high 30 steals this year, giving him 99 in his career. That ranks him 10th on Bucknell's all-time list.
Bucknell's Weekly Awards in 2009
CWPA Southern Division Player of the Week
- Richie Hyden (Sept. 7, Oct. 19), Nick Donahue (Sept. 28), Howie Kalter (Oct. 5)
CWPA Southern Division Rookie of the Week
- Brian Barron (Sept. 28, Oct. 5)
Bison Athlete of the Week
- Howie Kalter (Oct. 5)
About Mercyhurst
• 12-4 overall record
• 8-0 in CWPA Southern Division, West Region play
• Posted an 11-game winning streak
Bucknell vs. Possible Weekend Opponents
• No. 1 Seed Navy: 14-72 (Bucknell won this year's meeting at Kinney Natatorium, snapping a 16-game losing streak)
• No. 2 Seed Princeton: 29-35 (Bucknell is 6-4 in last 10 meetings dating to September 2007)
• No. 4 Seed Johns Hopkins: 35-15 (Bucknell owns a 2-1 edge in season series)
• No. 5 Seed George Washington: 36-11 (Bucknell is 3-0 in 2009)
• No. 6 Seed Mercyhurst: 4-0 (Bucknell has outscored Mercyhurst 53-24)
• No. 7 Seed Gannon: 6-0 (Bucknell won 16-5 in first round of 2008 Southern Championships)
• No. 8 Seed Washington & Jefferson: 12-0 (Bucknell won 17-3 in last meeting at 2007 Southern Championships)
• No. 9 Seed Penn State Behrend: 4-0 (Bucknell won 25-0 on Sunday)
• No. 10 Seed Salem International: 18-3 (Bucknell won last meeting 6-5 at 2005 Southern Championships)
Up Next
• If it finishes in the top four of the Southern Championships, Bucknell will play in the Eastern Championship in two weeks. The Bison have qualified for the Eastern Championship nine consecutive years. This season's Eastern Championship host is MIT.
