Annapolis, Md. – Prior to the start of the Championship tournament this weekend, the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) announced its East Division All-Conference and major award winners on Friday. Among the highlights was Fordham's
Massimiliano Mirarchi (Rome, Italy) being named Rookie of the Year and First Team All-Conference, while Rams head coach
Bill Harris was selected as the Coach of the Year.
In addition to Mirarchi and Harris' awards,
Jake Miler-Tolt (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) was also named First Team All-Conference, while
Alex Jahns (Greenwich, Conn.) earned Second Team All-Conference honors.
Mirarchi, a three-time All-American, has been as advertised, leading the Rams in goals (85), points (114), field blocks (15), ejections drawn (48) and extra-man goals with 25. He is also third on the team in steals (49) and assists (29). He was named MAWPC Player of the Week once this season, and currently ranks among the all-time Fordham single season leaders in goals.
Miller-Tolt, who was a Second Team All-East selection last season, is the Rams' team leader in assists (50) and steals (85), while ranking second in goals (61), points (111), and field blocks (14), all of which are also career-highs. He has received weekly awards three times this season by the MAWPC, twice as Defensive Player of the Week and once for Offensive Player of the Week.
Jahns earns Second Team All-Conference honors for the first time, after becoming the first Fordham goalkeeper to record at least 200 saves in three consecutive seasons. He has 207 saves this season and ranks second on the squad with 50 steals. He has also added 10 assists offensively.
Harris, who is in his 14
th season at Fordham, received the second major coaching award of his career, earning CWPA Northern Division Coach of the Year back in 2009. He led the Rams to a 17-10 mark this season and the #3 seed as this weekend's MAWPC Championship. It is the sixth time in the last nine seasons that Harris has led Fordham to at least 16 wins in a season.
MAWPC-East All-Conference Teams & Award Winners
Most Valuable Player: Rade Joksimovic (Bucknell University)
Coach of the Year: Bill Harris (Fordham University)
Rookie of the Year: Massimiliano Mirarchi (Fordham University)
First Team
Charlie Niehaus (Goalie) - Bucknell University
Rade Joksimovic - Bucknell University
Jake Miller-Tolt - Fordham University
Massimiliano Mirarchi - Fordham University
Andrew Mavis - George Washington University
Atakan Destici - George Washington University
Jasmin Kolasinc - Wagner College
Second Team
Alex Jahns (Goalie) - Fordham University
John Wilson (Goalie) - Johns Hopkins University
Giorgio Cico - Johns Hopkins University
Finn Banks - Johns Hopkins University
Jeff Hagen - Bucknell University
Cooper Dolan - Bucknell University
Taylor Bernhardt - United States Naval Academy
Ciaran Wolohan - Wagner College
