With seven upsets and six overtime contests and 171 scoring efforts of three goals or more, the choices for conference players of the week were plentiful on Week 8 of the collegiate men’s water polo season.
Here’s a look at the selections for each league.
Golden Coast Conference
Player of the Week: Nathan Puentes, UC Santa Barbara – Recorded nine goals, an assist and a steal in wins over #7 Long Beach State and #8 Cal; tallied a season-best six goals against the Bears.
CWPA Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference
Offensive Player of the Week: Milos Popovic, Salem – Registered 15 goals, five assists, five steals and eight earned ejections; tallied six goals, two assists and two ejections drawn in a 17-14 loss to McKendree; added five goals, three ejections drawn and three steals in a 21-7 win over Mercyhurst; notched four goals, three assists, three ejections drawn and a pair of steals in a 14-13 OT loss to Gannon
Defensive Player of the Week: Max Sandberg, Navy – Recorded a career-high 12 saves, while surrendering just five goals in 26 minutes between the pipes in the Midshipmen’s 14-8 upset win over #17 George Washington.
Rookie of the Week: Chris Freese, Johns Hopkins – Chipped in three goals, four assists and two blocks at the CWPA Division III Eastern Championships; dished out two assists and added a steal and a block in a 23-11 win over Austin College; put in two goals and assists in a 20-14 win over Connecticut College; notched one goal and one block in a 16-12 championship match win over MIT (16-12).
MPSF
Player of the Week: Andrew Chun, Stanford – Recorded a career-high 18 saves (.621 save percentage) and three steals in a 12-11 win over #5 Pepperdine
Newcomer of the Week: Max Wade, Austin College – Was named Rookie of the Tournament at the Division III Eastern Championships; notched 18 goals over four games at the tournament
Northeast Water Polo Conference
Player of the Week: Miller Geschke, MIT – Tallied 15 goals, five assists, 11 steals and a pair of field blocks at the Division III Eastern Championships; put in four goals, three assists and six steals against Washington & Jefferson (W 17-8) and Penn State Behrend (W 20-5); racked up six goals in a 16-12 win over Johns Hopkins.
Defensive Player of the Week: Nathan Wu, Harvard – Recorded 48 saves across four matches at teh Julian Fraser Memorial Tournament; notched two assists and three steals and blocked three penalty shots; posted a career high 15 saves, two assists and three steals in a 13-6 win over Chapman.
Rookie of the Week: Nathan Wu, Harvard
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletics Conference
Offensive Player of the Week: Ethan Lewis, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps – Reached the 100 goal milestone for his career; scored once in a 10-8 win over Cal Lutheran; put in five goals in an 11-10 win at Redlands
Defensive Player of the Week: Dylan Woodhouse, Whittier – Notched 20 saves and three steals in two 32 minute efforts in the cage; made 11 stops and posted a steal in an 18-8 win over La Verne; grabbed nine saves and two steals in an 11-8 win over Cal Lutheran.
Western Water Polo Association
Player of the Week: