With 140 efforts of a hat trick or more and several stellar performance between the pipes, here is a look at which players stood out in their individual conferences on men’s collegiate water polo Week 6.
Golden Coast Conference
Player of the Week: Marko Asic, Pepperdine – Scored a hat trick and added two assists in the Waves’ 13-12 overtime win over #6 Cal, the program’s first since 2008; added a goal in the 10-9 win over San Jose State.
CWPA Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference
Player of the Week:
Luke Waechter, La Salle – Tallied nine goals over three games, while also adding two assists, four exclusions earned and a block; notched a hat trick in a 16-7 loss to #15 George Washington, while also earning an exclusion and recording a block; put in a career-high six goals as the Explorers earned their first ever Division I win over Navy (10-8);
Matthew Haygood, McKendree – Put in 13 goals in three games for the Bearcats; tallied seven goals in a 19-15 loss to Gannon; added two scores in a 21-6 over Monmouth; notched four goals in a 19-8 win over Mercyhurst.
Defensive Player of the Week: Cole Strohson, La Salle – Drew 10 kickouts over three matches; scored one in a 16-7 loss to #15 George Washington; notched four exclusions earned, three steals, a block, an assist and a goal in the historic 10-8 win over Navy; drew four exclusions and added a goal and a block in a 12-11 loss to Johns Hopkins.
Rookie of the Week: Adrien Touzot, Bucknell – Posted 14 saves in a 23-14 win over Johns Hopkins; manned the goal in an 11-10 win over Navy; notched 17 saves with a .680 save percentage in a 13-8 upset win over #14 George Washington.
MPSF
Player of the Week: Felix Brozyna-Vilim, UCLA – notched a hat trick and drew six exclusions in the Bruins’ 15-11 win over #5 UC Santa Barbara.
Newcomer of the Week: Tommy Gruwell, UCLA – notched two goals, two assists, two steals, one field block and a won a sprint in the Bruins’ 15-11 win over #5 UC Santa Barbara.
Northeast Water Polo Conference
Player of the Week: Charlie Owens, Harvard – Scored six times in weekend wins vs. Brown and MIT; put in two goals in a 12-5 win over Brown; notched four goals in an 18-7 win over MIT.
Defensive Player of the Week: Billy Motherway, Princeton – Notched a career-high 17 saves in a 10-6 win over Iona
Rookie of the Week: Antonio Knez, Princeton – Racked up 20 saves in a 13-5 win over #19 St. Francis Brooklyn
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletics Conference
Offensive Player of the Week: Ethan Lewis, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps – Put in four goals, including the final three, in CMS’ 9-8 upset win over #18 Pomona-Pitzer; tallied three goals and a steal in the team’s 15-7 win over Occidental.
Defensive Player of the Week: Noah Smith, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps – Notched nine saves and three steals in the Stags’ 9-8 upset win over #18 Pomona-Pitzer; registered four saves and a steal in the team’s 15-7 win over Occidental.
Western Water Polo Association
Player of the Week: Campbell Harris, Air Force – Scored four goals and added a steal, a field block and a drawn exclusion in the Falcons’ 10-9 loss to #12 UC Davis.