Bucknell University Athletics
Men's Water Polo Hosts Conference Championship This Weekend
11/17/2016 7:50:00 AM | Men's Water Polo
Setting the Scene
What: Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Championship
When: Nov. 18-20
Where: Lewisburg, Pa. | Kinney Natatorium
Live Video: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/cwpa/
Tickets: $25/$10/$5
Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Championship Schedule
Friday, Nov. 18
Game 1: No. 1 seed Bucknell vs. No. 8 seed Connecticut College, 3 p.m.
Game 2: No. 4 seed Fordham vs. No. 5 seed Wagner, 4:30 p.m.
Game 3: No. 2 seed George Washington vs. No. 7 seed Mercyhurst, 6 p.m.
Game 4: No. 3 seed Johns Hopkins vs. No. 6 seed Navy, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 19
Game 5: Loser Game 2 vs. Loser Game 1, 1:30 p.m.
Game 6: Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4. 3 p.m.
Game 7: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 4:30 p.m.
Game 8: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 6 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 20
Seventh Place: Loser Game 6 vs. Loser Game 5, 9 a.m.
Fifth Place: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 10:30 a.m.
Third Place: Loser Game 8 vs. Loser Game 7, 12 p.m.
First Place: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 1:30 p.m.
About Bucknell (20-4, 9-1 Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference)
* Bucknell won the regular-season title in the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference East Region by posting a 9-1 conference mark. The Bison finished one game ahead of second-place George Washington.
* Bucknell will face eighth-seeded Connecticut College in its first game this weekend Friday at 3 p.m. If the Bison win their games, they will then play at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday and 1:30 p.m. on Sunday.
* Bucknell is looking to win its first conference title since claiming the 2012 CWPA Southern Championships.
* This is the first Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Championship. The winner earns an automatic berth to the NCAA Championship. Due to the NCAA's 2016 format, in which five automatic bids were awarded (Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference, Northeast Water Polo Conference, Western Water Polo Association, Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) with two teams selected at-large, the MAWPC will likely end up in a play-in game against the Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) Champion to qualify for a play-in game to earn a spot in the NCAA Championship "Final Four" field at the Spieker Aquatics Center on the campus of the University of California.
* Bucknell is 20-4 this year and enters the postseason on a six-game winning streak. It is the first 20-win season for the Bison since 2007. This is just the ninth time in program history Bucknell has reached the 20-win plateau.
* Bucknell's current six-game winning streak is its second-longest of the year. The Bison won nine consecutive games from Sept .16 to Oct. 1.
* Bucknell is tied for 12th in the national rankings with Princeton this week. The Bison have been ranked as high as ninth this season.
* Bucknell head coach John McBride recently won his 100th career game. He is 101-61 (.623) in his career to stand third on the program's all-time wins list.
* Bucknell has totaled 319 steals this year to rank No. 8 on the program's all-time list. Senior Sean Daley leads the team with a career-high 65 steals.
* Freshman Rade Joksimovic has led the Bison offense this year. The rookie has totaled 124 goals, 27 assists and 151 points. He ranks fourth on the program's single-season ledger for goals, while he is just five points shy of joining the top 10 in points. Joksimovic has scored double figures in goals twice this season.
* Bucknell is 8-1 this season at Kinney Natatorium, 40-8 at home over the past five seasons, and 84-35 all-time in its facility that opened in 2003.
* Bucknell is 10-1 against the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Championship field this season. In addition to their 9-1 record against conference opponents, the Bison also defeated Mercyhurst.
Scouting Connecticut College (11-15, 4-2 Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference West)
* Connecticut College opened the season with just one win in its first seven games, but bounced back to win 10 of its final 19 games.
* The Camels finished third in the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference West Region standings during the regular season, but advanced to the championship game of the conference's postseason tournament two weeks ago, before falling to Mercyhurst.
Series History with Connecticut College
* Friday's contest is the first-ever meeting between Bucknell and Connecticut College.
Weekly Awards:
* Bison Athlete of the Week:
- Rade Joksimovic (Sept. 19, Sept. 26)
* CWPA Player of the Week:
- Rade Joksimovic (Sept. 6, Sept. 20, Sept. 28)
* CWPA Defensive Player of the Week:
- Rade Joksimovic (Sept. 20)
* CWPA Rookie of the Week:
- Rade Joksimovic (Sept. 6, Sept. 20, Sept. 28, Oct. 11, Oct. 19, Oct. 27, Nov. 8)
Up Next
* The winner of the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Championship will earn an automatic berth to the NCAA Championship, which will result in a likely play-in game berth. The NCAA Championship field will be announced on Sunday, Nov. 20.
