Bucknell University Athletics
Men's Water Polo Closes Regular-Season Schedule at Home This Weekend
11/3/2016 11:48:00 AM | Men's Water Polo
Setting the Scene
What: Bucknell vs. Fordham, Wagner, and Johns Hopkins
Where: Lewisburg, Pa. | Kinney Natatorium
Bucknell Schedule
Saturday, Nov. 5
No. 13 Bucknell vs. Fordham, 2 p.m. | Patriot League Network
No. 13 Bucknell vs. Wagner, 7 p.m. | Patriot League Network
Sunday, Nov. 6
No. 13 Bucknell vs. Johns Hopkins, 12 p.m.
About Bucknell (17-4, 6-1 Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference)
* Senior Day ceremonies will be held prior to the start of Saturday's contest against Wagner. Seniors Ratimir Babic, Sean Daley, Nate Hunter and R.J. Moore will be honored.
* The Bison will be playing for first place in the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference this weekend. George Washington is currently ahead of the Bison at 7-1. If Bucknell wins all three contests this weekend, it will clinch first place with a 9-1 record. If George Washington ends up tied with the Bison, Bucknell wins the tiebreaker based off of goal differential in the two earlier matchups this season between the two teams.
* Bucknell last saw action at the Santa Clara Rodeo, going 3-1 over the two-day tournament. It opened with a 9-7 loss to No. 17 Cal Baptist, but rebounded with victories over No. 20 Loyola Marymount, Fresno Pacific, and Air Force.
* Sean Daley led all Bison at the Santa Clara Rodeo with 12 assists and 17 steals, while also adding four goals. Ratimir Babic and Jeff Hagen each scored five goals. Nate Hunter had a team-high 15 ejections drawn, and also tallied four goals and four steals.
* Charlie Niehaus improved upon his excellent season as goalkeeper with 42 saves against only 26 goals allowed on the 3-1 weekend. Niehaus now holds a .564 save percentage during his junior season.
* Rade Joksimovic was named the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Rookie of the Week for the sixth time. His weekend statline included a team-high 17 goals as well as eight ejections drawn, eight steals, and five successful sprints on six attempts.
* The Bison are currently ranked 13th in the national rankings with three games to go before the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Championship.
* With their 17-4 record, the Bison are two wins away from totaling their most wins in a season since 2007, when they earned 20 victories.
* Bucknell is 5-1 this season at Kinney Natatorium, 37-8 at home over the past five seasons, and 81-35 all-time.
* The Bison have faced each of their three weekend opponents previously this season. They defeated Johns Hopkins (12-11) in September, followed by Wagner (13-11) and Fordham (14-11) in October.
* Bucknell has allowed 11 goals or less in all but two contests this season. It has allowed an average of 8.9 goals per game while scoring 13.3 goals per game.
* Joksimovic leads the team in goals (107), points (133) and sprints won (15). Sean Daley has added 21 goals, 41 assists and 59 steals, while Ratimir Babic, Nate Hunter and Jeff Hagen each have over 30 points.
Scouting Fordham (14-11, 4-5 Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference)
* Fordham is currently on a four-game winning streak. It has outscored opponents 41-24 over those four games.
* The Rams defeated both Wagner and Johns Hopkins earlier this season.
* Fordham is 0-6 against ranked squads this year.
Scouting Wagner (8-18, 3-6 Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference)
* Wagner has struggled as of late, earning just one win over its last six games.
* The Seahawks have been a part of some high-scoring games. Only two matches this season have failed to see at least one team register double-digit goals.
* Wagner also participated at the Santa Clara Rodeo, going 1-3. It defeated Fresno Pacific 10-6.
Scouting Johns Hopkins (3-15, 3-4 Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference)
* Though it has fared well in conference play, Johns Hopkins holds a current six-game losing streak.
* Four of those defeats came at the hands of ranked teams. Johns Hopkins has not been able to earn a win against ranked teams in 10 attempts this season.
* Giorgio Cico leads the team with 42 goals, 60 points, and 30 steals.
* Ratimir Babic led the team with five goals in the 12-11 victory over the Blue Jays earlier this year.
Series History with Fordham
* Bucknell leads the all-time series 39-3. The teams first met in 1977.
* Bucknell had been on a 29-game winning streak over the Rams before Fordham earned a 7-6 victory in 2014.
* Fordham fell 14-11 to the Bison in the only other matchup between these two sides this season.
Series History with Wagner
* Bucknell leads the all-time series 1-0. This is the first season that these two squads have met.
* Hunter led the team with four goals in the 13-11 victory over the Seahawks this season. Marko Djordjevic, Hagen, and Joksimovic each added two goals.
Series History with Johns Hopkins
* Bucknell leads the all-time series 45-24. The teams first met in 1980.
* Since 2012, the Bison and Blue Jays have split the series 5-5, with six of those games being decided by two goals or less.
* The Bison defeated Johns Hopkins in the CWPA Championships 11-5 in 2014.
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)
Milestone Watch:
* John McBride is two wins away from earning 100 victories in his career.
* Marko Djordjevic is two goals away from scoring 50 in his career. Ratimir Babic is nine goals away from scoring 100 in his career.
* R.J. Moore needs 12 points to tally 100 points in his career. Nate Hunter is 10 points away from earning 100 points in his career.
* Sean Daley is 12 goals away from having at least 100 goals and 100 assists in his career.
* Rade Joksimovic is three goals away from jumping to sixth on the program's single-season goals list.
* Charlie Niehaus is 36 saves away from making the top-10 saves list for a single season in program history.
Up Next
* Bucknell will have a week off before participating in the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Championships. The tournament will be held at Kinney Natatorium Nov. 18-20.
