Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men's Water Polo Listed No. 18 in CWPA Preseason Poll
8/20/2009 8:00:00 AM | Men's Water Polo
Aug. 20, 2009
LEWISBURG, Pa. - For the third time in the last four years the Bucknell men's water polo team appears in the Collegiate Water Polo Association Preseason Poll as the Bison are ranked 18th nationally, it was announced this week. Bucknell is coming off a 17-16 season and will open its 2009 campaign Sept. 5-6 at the Navy Open in Annapolis, Md.
The Bison are one of five East Coast teams to show up in the top 20, following No. 11 Princeton, No. 12 Navy, No. 16 St. Francis (N.Y.) and No. 17 Brown. Bucknell is the only ranked team that did not show up in the final poll of the 2008 campaign.
With six veterans who started at least 15 games a year ago returning, the Bison are poised to have a solid season in 2009. The top four scorers from last year will be back, including Honorable Mention All-America selection Richie Hyden.
Defending national champion USC is listed No. 1 in the poll. Stanford, UCLA, Cal and Pepperdine comprise the rest of the top five. Princeton is the highest ranked team from outside of California.
Bucknell, which was last ranked in the preseason in 2007, will be on the road three straight weekends to start the year before hosting three league games the final weekend in September. Kinney Natatorium will also be the site of this year's Southern Championships, an event the Bison finished fourth at last year.
