Bucknell University Athletics
Men's Water Polo Ranked 20th in CWPA Preseason Poll
8/22/2018 4:09:00 PM | Men's Water Polo
BRIDGEPORT, Pa. – The Bucknell men's water polo team was slotted in a tie for 20th in the 2018 Collegiate Water Polo Association Preseason Poll, the organization announced Wednesday afternoon.
The Bison, who totaled four points, were tied with Air Force and fellow Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference team Wagner. They were also voted to finish third in the MAWPC behind George Washington and Wagner with 91 points, five outside of first and four outside of second.
In 2017, Bucknell posted a 19-12 (10-0 CWPA) record and was ranked No. 20 in the final CWPA poll. The Bison won their second-straight MAWPC East Region regular-season title behind their undefeated mark but went on to place third at the MAWPC Tournament. They lose starting netminder Charlie Niehaus and strong two-way players Jeff Hagen and Tommy Stupp to graduation but return Rade Joksimovic, who captured 2016 Third Team All-America accolades and 2017 Honorable Mention All-America laurels; he is only the third Bison to twice net at least 100 goals in a single season and enters his junior campaign with 325 career points (260g-65a), a total just 25 outside of 10th in school history.
Bucknell opens its 2018 campaign by attending the Bruno Classic at Brown University on September 1-2. The Bison will take on MIT, Austin College, Brown, St. Francis Brooklyn and Pepperdine over the course of the two-day invitational. Of those teams, three were ranked in the first Division I preseason poll: Pepperdine (No. 8), Brown (No. 15) and St. Francis Brooklyn (No. 19); in addition, MIT was tabbed No. 7 in the Division III rankings.
The Bison, who totaled four points, were tied with Air Force and fellow Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference team Wagner. They were also voted to finish third in the MAWPC behind George Washington and Wagner with 91 points, five outside of first and four outside of second.
In 2017, Bucknell posted a 19-12 (10-0 CWPA) record and was ranked No. 20 in the final CWPA poll. The Bison won their second-straight MAWPC East Region regular-season title behind their undefeated mark but went on to place third at the MAWPC Tournament. They lose starting netminder Charlie Niehaus and strong two-way players Jeff Hagen and Tommy Stupp to graduation but return Rade Joksimovic, who captured 2016 Third Team All-America accolades and 2017 Honorable Mention All-America laurels; he is only the third Bison to twice net at least 100 goals in a single season and enters his junior campaign with 325 career points (260g-65a), a total just 25 outside of 10th in school history.
Bucknell opens its 2018 campaign by attending the Bruno Classic at Brown University on September 1-2. The Bison will take on MIT, Austin College, Brown, St. Francis Brooklyn and Pepperdine over the course of the two-day invitational. Of those teams, three were ranked in the first Division I preseason poll: Pepperdine (No. 8), Brown (No. 15) and St. Francis Brooklyn (No. 19); in addition, MIT was tabbed No. 7 in the Division III rankings.
Players Mentioned
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