Sept. 4, 2009
Bronx, N.Y. -
The Fordham water polo opens their 2009 season at the Navy Invitational this weekend in Annapolis, Maryland. The Rams will play four matches, highlighted by a meeting with 18th-ranked Bucknell University.
Navy Invite: Fordham opens play on Saturday with an international match against the University of Toronto, followed by a match against NOVA Club, a top Virginia club team. Fordham then meets Concordia (Calif.) on Sunday, followed by a match against 18th ranked Bucknell.
Season Preview: The Fordham water polo team enters the 2009 season with a great sense of enthusiasm under sixth year head coach Bill Harris. The Rams are coming off their first winning season since 1987, and are poised to be in the mix of contenders for the CWPA Northern Division title.
The offense for the Rams will be their biggest strength with the return of juniors Alex Powell and Ryan Hultman. Powell was a First Team All-Northern Division selection in 2008 after leading Fordham in scoring for the second straight season. He ended the year with 69 points, 52 goals, and 22 steals, all team-highs. Hultman was right behind Powell in most offensive categories, posting 38 goals and 11 assists for 49 points, while also adding 17 steals, which tied for third on the squad.
Besides Powell and Hultman, the Rams saw the development of a number of other players, as seven other returnees had at least 12 goals in 2008. Of those returnees, senior
Andrew Dentinger, juniors
Scott Nemecek and
Jakob Muller, and sophomore
Andrew McKernin should be the prime candidates to fill out the Rams' line-up. McKernin, a former First Team All-American in high school, finished fourth on the team with 21 goals and fifth in points with 34. Dentinger (14 goals) and Nemecek (16 goals) each recorded 36 points in 2008, and are solid two-way players. Muller, who won a team-best 42 swimoffs, also had a solid season with 16 goals, 11 assists, and 21 steals.
New Additions: The Rams should get contributions from their latest additions, which includes transfers and freshmen.
Both graduate student Ali Arat and junior Mikey Edwards add size and scoring to the two-meter position. Arat brings international experience to Rose Hill from the Turkish National team, while Edwards was a two-time junior college All-American at Mt. San Antonio College in California, leading the state in scoring in each of those seasons.
Freshmen Jake Bakas and Cashel Barnett could also have an immediate impact. Bakas was a Third Team NISCA All-American selection his senior season and helped his high school team to the state championship. Barnett, a 6-2 utility player that can play driver or the two-meter spot, earned All-American status twice (2007-08) and was a three-time All-CIF Northern California.
Preseason Rankings: In the preseason CWPA Top 10 Poll, Fordham is ranked eighth, after finishing the 2008 season ranked ninth.
2009 CWPA Poll (Preseason)
Rank - Team
1. Princeton University
2. US Naval Academy
3. Brown University
4. Bucknell University
5. Johns Hopkins University
6. MIT
7. Iona College
8. Fordham University
9. Harvard University
10. George Washington University
