American Water Polo

Several MLL Teams Boasting Perfect Records

2011 Main Line League Schedules and Results

Athletes in the Northeast are hanging up their goggles and replacing them with their water polo caps as the 2011 AWP Main Line League prepares to enter the third weekend of high school and age group action. Teams are travelling from several states including Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, to compete in their respective age groups. There are over nine-hundred athletes eighteen years of age and younger participating in this year’s league.

The twenty-three high school boys teams are divided into three different divisions. The Red Division currently has two teams leading the pack as both the Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials and the Malvern Friars won their first two games of the season. The Light Blue Division saw the Cumberland Valley Eagles walk away with a perfect record after outscoring the competitors 24-9 and defeating both the Greater Philly Orange and Spartan Blue – LaSalle squads. K&M White and the Princeton Tigers are the only two remaining boys high school teams that are undefeated as both sit tied on top of the Navy Division with 2-0 record.

There are two divisions on the high school girls side splitting the fourteen squads evenly based upon each programs availability. Greater Philly Navy leads the way in the Aqua Division as the only undefeated program, while the Lady Muhls and Greater Philly Orange both boast perfect records in the Pink Division. Several programs will be competing for the first time this weekend and have the ability to move into leading roles for their divisions.  

The twenty-five 15&Under squads are divided into three divisions: Boys Orange Division, Boys/Coed Yellow Division, Girls Purple Division. Although the majority of the programs have not competed in their first games to date, K&M and CV Eagles raced out to a pair of victories in the Yellow Division. The maidens of K&M also proved they are ready to play as they claimed an early control of the Purple Division with an undefeated mark. The Orange Division begins play this weekend with competition at Villanova University.

In the youngest age bracket, and arguably the most entertaining, the 12&Under programs are divided into both the Experienced and Novice Divisions. Winning is secondary for each program as many coaches use the competition as an opportunity to help their athletes develop skills in a fun environment. Some programs, such as Hudson Valley, are showing the experience of a number of their players who have now competed in the league for several seasons. This is a great sign for where our sport is headed as more athletes are starting at an earlier age and developing improved skills. In addition, athletes are showing a better understanding of the rules, as well as their ability to set up on the offensive and defensive ends of the pool. Since the first year the division was added in 2003 with only four club programs participating, the competitive level of this age group has dramatically improved. 

Main Line League action continues this weekend with games at Villanova University, North Penn High School and Souderton Area High School. For directions to each location visit the Main Line League Competition page under the Eastern Region of the Schedules page or click on this Direction Link. 

For more information regarding competition available for athletes of all ages, contact Tom Tracey at 610-277-6787 or tracey@americanwaterpolo.org.

 

Main Line League in Full Swing

2011 Main Line League Schedules and Results

The High School and Age Group Divisions of the Main Line League are in full swing. Competition began this past weekend at Villanova University with teams competing in the 12&Under Experienced and Novice Divisions along with the High School Boys Red Division and High School Girls Pink Division.

The Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials and the Malvern Friars started strong in the High School Boys Red Division, each winning their first two games. The Colonials had close matches against the Perkasie Pirates (15-13) and the Springfield Spartan White squad (13-11) while the Friars rolled in their game against Muhl Polo (10-2) but had a close call with the PV Valhallas (14-10). The Valhallas, Spartan White and Wissahickon Trojans each walked away with one victory and split their weekend (1-1). 

The High School Girls Pink Division watched the Greater Philly Orange squad show some early dominance defeating both PV Valhalla (10-4) and Spartan Water Polo (12-2) with strong defense and team work. The Lady Muhls of Muhlenburg High School also started the season with two big wins over the Spartans (12-11) and the Valhallas (13-7).

On the youngest levels of competition, the 12&Under Experienced and Novice Divisions, athletes showed their competitive side as several teams finished the day winning one game but falling in their second. Only two squads walked away with a perfect record 0f 2-0. Hudson Valley controlled both of their matches overcoming the Princeton Tigers (14-10) and Kingfish (16-5) on the experienced side while Greater Philly outlasted Rebel Polo (17-15) and K&M (17-13) on the novice. 

Main Line League action continues this weekend with games being played at both Villanova University in Villanova, PA and North Penn High School located at 1340 Valley Forge Road, Lansdale, PA.

For more information regarding competition available for local high school athletes and younger in the Main Line League, contact Tom Tracey at 610-277-6787 or tracey@americanwaterpolo.org.

 

All-Comers Clinic in Annapolis, MD

The Navy Aquatic Club is offering an All-Comers Clinic and Competition at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. The event will take place on Saturday, March 26th in the Scott Natatorium, Macdonough Hall, from 10:30AM until 2:30PM. Athletes of all ages and both genders are invited to participate. The younger players will be finished before 2:30PM.

The goal for the day is to provide every athlete a chance to play in three games during the day. In addition, there will be several sessions focusing on individual skills and game tactics. This should be a great learning experience for everyone involved.

Individual athletes will be assigned to a team at the beginning of the day. The cost per athlete is $15 for the four hour opportunity. A small snack bar will be set up pool side but all players should still plan on bringing a lunch and drinks.

Teams are welcome to participate but need to immediately contact the Navy AC in order to plan the game schedule. Coaches are encouraged to attend at no charge.

Parking passes will not be distributed this weekend. Anyone with Department of Defense stickers or Navy AC parking passes on their vehicles will be permitted to drive on to campus. A shuttle will be available from gate 8 located by the baseball field. The shuttle will run between the gate and the pool. To request a shuttle simply call 410-293-5558. Everyone will need to have picture identification in order to be permitted on the campus.

Those parties who can not drive on campus will find parking immediately outside of gate 8. The lot is located in front of Halligan Hall which is on the right side of the road when driving in towards, but before, gate 8. You can park in this lot and walk in if you desire so long as you have a current photo ID.    

For more information regarding the Navy AC All-Comers Clinic and Competition, contact Mike Schofield at 410-293-5558 or schofield@usna.edu

Main Line League HS & AG Schedules Posted

(Photo of K&M's home facility, North Penn High School, in Lansdale, PA)

2011 Main Line League Schedules and Results

 

GP Wins Fourth Straight Title

2011 Main Line League Schedules and Results

Tied 5-5 at halftime, Greater Philadelphia used a four –goal scoring spurt to open up a 9-5 lead and outlast a furious Kingfish Vets comeback bid to hold on for a 10-8 victory in the championship game of the 2011 Senior “A” Division Main Line League.

In a battle of scoring runs with the Kingfish Vets opening a 5-2 lead in the first half before Greater Philly lobbed home three markers before the halftime horn to knot the damage at five-all, Greater Philadelphia needed an All-Star caliber performance by goalie Max Kelly down the stretch to hang on for the victory.

Kelly, who held the Kingfish Vets to single digits in scoring for only the second time during the season, anchored a defense which held the Vets down when it mattered most to claim Greater Philly’s fourth consecutive Main Line League crown.

The game was the better of the first meeting between the two programs as Greater Philly and Kingfish Vets clawed to a six-to-six tie during the regular season. Their second match during the season had the Vets hammering Greater Philly (15-7) and sending a message that their opponent needed to step up its game.  

In the title tilt, Greater Philadelphia jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead two minutes into the game, but the Vets responded nearly immediately to knot the score and appear to shift the momentum.

However, neither team was able to take control of their offense with multiple offensive calls leading to the other squads counterattack scoring opportunities.

Following an exchange of strikes to set the scoreboard at 2-2, the Vets began taking advantage of their speed racing down the tank to bury three markers and put the defending Main Line League champions on the ropes at 5-2 with only 5:39 remaining in the first half.

Needing an offensive explosion to stifle the Vets scoring run, Greater Philly went to work chipping away at the deficit while Kelly and the GP defense stiffened to keep Kingfish at bay for the remainder of the first half.

Tied at intermission, Greater Philly turned to Mike Gartner who ripped home shots at set to account for half of his team’s four-goal string to open the second half and stake GP to its first lead since a 2-1 advantage in the dawning moments of the contest.

Down four with time ticking away on the clock, the Vets attempted to counter Greater Philly’s run with one of their own by pouring in their sixth strike of the day, but it was immediately answered to keep the lead at four (10-6) with the clock winding down.

Kingfish received an opportunity to climb back into the contest, but the Greater Philly defense erased several man-advantage bids to force the top seeded team to call their final timeout with three minutes remaining on the scoreboard.

The extra-time appeared to reinvigorate the Vets’ shooters as they dented the cage with a pair of rockets, but Greater Philly’s lead proved to be too much to overcome.

Leading the way for the Kingfish Vets was Chad Arnold, who tallied a game-high three scores, while five Greater Philadelphia players each chipped in pairs of markers.

A key to the game was Greater Philly’s ability to convert on its man-up bids as the team cashed in on four-of-eight opportunities, while holding Kingfish Vets to a two-of-seven performance, to account for the final margin of victory.

In the third place game featuring the Princeton Tigers versus Villanova University, speed and guile overcame numbers for a 14-6 Tigers’ victory.  Princeton, forced to play ironman water polo with only seven players, used their quickness and outside scoring opportunities to claw Villanova’s Wildcats for an eight goal victory. Leading the way for Princeton was Mike Carter who buried six goals to account for nearly half the Tigers’ scoring in the game.

Potentially the most unexpected performance occurred among the final four teams competing for fifth place.  Drexel University, which entered the championship as the seventh-seed, upended sixth-seed Rutgers (16-13 W), while fifth-seed HAWCS stopped eighth-seed YOE Polo (14-8 W) to set up a Dragons-YOE throwdown for fifth place.

In a see-saw contest that saw both teams have a chance to put the other away and roll to victory, Drexel used timely scoring and defensive pressure to outlast HAWCS by a 12-7 final score. Although seeded two places higher entering the championship, HAWCS fell to Drexel for the second time in two weeks.  In the previous meeting between the two clubs, the Dragons victory knocked terminated HAWCS chance at a Top Three finish in the Main Line League as the loss dropped the program out of the Top Four teams by a single point.

Main Line League action does not stop as the conclusion of the Senior “A” Division Main Line League marks the start of the High School and Age Group competition. With local Pennsylvania teams completing their swim season this week at the state championship, the young athletes will be diving right back into the water on Sunday to play for their water polo clubs as part of the spring league.

For more information regarding competition available for local high school athletes and younger in the Main Line League, contact Tom Tracey at 610-277-6787 or tracey@americanwaterpolo.org.

CutinoCup.com Launches

www.CutinoCup.com

BERKELEY, Calif. – American Water Polo and the Peter J. Cutino Cup organizing committee are proud to announce the launch of the official tournament site, www.CutinoCup.com

The online home for an event that will feature Masters’ level teams competing for a championship cup named after a championship coach, the Peter J. Cutino CupTM website provides the latest information on the inaugural event scheduled for May 21-22 in the East Bay area of Northern California.

Named for one of the sport of water polo’s greatest coaches, the 2011 Peter J. Cutino Cup offers more than premier water polo competition at an affordable price, but a well-organized event featuring an incredible social atmosphere for interested teams, fans and affificiandos of the sport of water polo.

The inaugural event of the American Water Polo Masters Cup Series, the premier Cutino Cup will occur at four sites:

•    Campolindo High School (Main Site) Soda Aquatic Center, Moraga, Calif.
•    Steve Heaston Aquatic Center, Acalanes High School, Lafayette, Calif.
•    Las Lomas High School Pool, Las Lomas High School, Walnut Creek, Calif.
•    Bill Brown Aquatic Center, Miramonte High School, Orinda, Calif.

Hosted by Tri Valley Water Polo, the event will feature five levels of competition for both men’s and women’s teams as independent competition will occur for athletes in 20 & Over, 30 & Over, 40 & Over, 50 & Over and 55 & Over divisions.  Due to the breadth of the tournament, the host reserves the right to combine age groups if less than three teams enter and will give the option for a team to compete in the next lower age division.  

Each team is guaranteed a minimum of four games during the two-day event that offers a high quality water polo experience for Masters Water Polo. 

As the event is intended to honor more than just the name Pete Cutino, but the legacy he created and the vision he left for what water polo can be at all levels of competition, all proceeds from the tournament will remain at the four host sites to benefit the local youth water polo community.

A legendary coach and educator in swimming and water polo for over 40 years, during his 26-year tenure as the head coach of the University of California-Berkeley Cutino won eight NCAA titles and compiled a 519-172-10 career  record to rank among the all-time victory leaders in the history of water polo in the United States.

Cutino also served as a US National and Olympic Team Coach as well as a member of the FINA Technical Water Polo Committee and the chair of the Men’s International Olympic Committee.

"Pete was an instrumental part of so many lives,” according to University of California head men’s water polo coach Kirk Everist. “Those of us lucky enough to have been able to call him "Coach" know that our lives where forever impacted by his presence, his teachings and his never ending pursuit to bring out the best in all of us. Remembering his legacy with Masters competition is a perfect tribute.”

A member of six Hall of Fames, Cutino’s legacy is also remembered by the San Francisco Olympic Club which in 1999 established the Peter J. Cutino Award, the Heisman Award equivalent presented to the top male and female collegiate water polo players each year.

In September of 2004, Peter J. Cutino Sr. passed away, a loss felt by all the athletes, coaches and fellow aquatic enthusiasts who came into contact with him over his years on deck.

To Register for the Cutino Cup
Teams interested in registering for the Peter J. Cutino Cup can register by visiting the tournament website at:

www.CutinoCup.com

If you still need more information, you can contact the tournament host directly at:

Jeff Roy, Tri Valley Water Polo, 925-337-6706 (cell), jroy2845@yahoo.com

All athletes on a team will need to be registered as a member of American Water Polo to compete.  To minimize costs to the athletes, a discounted membership fee is available for current USA Water Polo athletes.

For additional information on the Masters Cup Series and the benefits of American Water Polo membership, contact Tom Tracey, Director of Membership, at 610-277-6787 or tracey@americanwaterpolo.org

Seedings Set for Senior “A” Division Champs

2011 Main Line League Schedules and Results

On Sunday, March 13th, the Senior “A” Division squads will compete for the 2011 Main Line League Championship at Villanova University. The top four teams play semi-final games where winners move on to the title match and losers compete for third place. The next four teams compete in a similar format for the right to play in the fifth and seventh place games. 

The Kingfish Vets come into the weekend undefeated after tying their first game of the season against Greater Philly (6-6) and winning the remaining seven. The Vets outscored their opponents by 84 goals; scoring 116 points while goalie and team leader, Ryan Keiser, only allowed 32 to get behind him in net. Clearly the favorite for winning the championship, the Kingfish Vets have not won the title since the 2004 season when they defeated Greater Philly (12-7). The top seed will face the fourth seed Villanova University in the first game on Sunday. The Wildcats had to wait for the results of this past weekend’s matches to see if their record would hold up for them to make the top four positions and have a chance to play for the championship crown.  

The other two teams rounding out the top four are Greater Philly (second seed) and Princeton Tigers (third seed). These two teams squared off once in their final game of the regular season where Greater Philly emerged the victor by a 12-5 final. The Tigers will seek their revenge as Princeton lost only three games this winter. The remaining two losses were at the hands of the Kingfish Vets (1-13) and the HAWCS (7-14) during a weekend where the Tigers did not have their entire starting squad. Meanwhile, Greater Philly is looking for its fourth title in a row and its sixth in nine years.

The other final four teams competing in the Senior “A” Division include the HAWCS (fifth seed), Rutgers (sixth seed), Drexel University (seventh seed) and YOE Polo (eight seed). The HAWCS had a tough loss at the hands of Drexel (9-10) in the last weekend of regular season competition. A victory in the game would have secured a top four finish for the HAWCS, who instead fell one point shy of the fourth seed. Seeking to defend their fifth seed against YOE Polo in their first game of the playoffs, the HAWCS strive to move to 2-0 against YOE after defeating the eight seeded team during the last weekend of competition (15-11).

The winner of the previous game will get the winner of the Rutgers and Drexel match. These two squads haven’t seen each other since the first weekend of competition when the Scarlet Knights slayed the Dragons (15-11). But this is a much improved Drexel squad which has given all of the top four teams spirited battles. This match has the makings of being one of the toughest and highest scoring head-to-head games on the weekend.

The conclusion of the Senior “A” Division Main Line League also marks the start of the High School and Age Group competition. With local teams completing their swim season, the young athletes will be diving right back into the water as they begin playing for their water polo clubs in the spring league.

For more information regarding competition available for local high school athletes and younger in the Main Line League, contact Tom Tracey at 610-277-6787 or tracey@americanwaterpolo.org.

 

USA Olympians Offer PA & NJ Camps

USA Olympian, Genai Kerr, is offering two clinics to athletes local to the Philadelphia area at the end of March. The clinics are being run through the 5meter Water Polo Camps and hosted by two age group programs. The Stingrays Water Polo Club will offer one clinic on Saturday, March 26th at the Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville, NJ. And on Sunday, March 27th, the Perkasie Pirates Water Polo Club will host the second clinic at Pennridge High School in Perkasie, PA.

The 5meter Water Polo Camps feature several USA Olympians and is designed by the top coaches and athletes in the country. The camps provide in-water instruction focused to make an immediate impact on any athlete’s game. Young athletes will have the opportunity to learn first hand how Olympic Athletes train, meet their nutritional needs and balance their lives.

“This is a great opportunity for our younger athletes to meet, learn and work with USA Olympians,” stated Andy Sichet, head coach of Stingrays. “When we were contacted by Genai we immediately wanted to get involved.”

The 5meter Camp at Lawrenceville is broken into two sessions; fourteen year olds and younger from 9AM-12PM and current high school athletes from 1PM-4PM. The camp at Pennridge will run from 9AM-4PM for any athletes who currently compete on the high school level. Both clinics will be limited to 35 athletes in order to have a better camp experience. The following flyers offer additional details.

5meter Camp – Lawrenceville, NJ on March 26, 2011

5meter Camp – Perkasie, PA on March 27, 2011
 
Registering for each individual clinic can be completed by visiting the camp website at www.5meter.com. Be sure to view the flyers to receive an additional 10% discount code for the clinic you would like to attend.  

For more information regarding the 5meter Water Polo Camp contact Genai Kerr at 949-385-6282 or info@5meter.com.

 

Inaugural Cutino Cup Set for May 21-22

To honor and continue the legacy of a Hall of Fame coach, American Water Polo announces the Peter J. Cutino Cup for Masters level athletes.

The inaugural event of the American Water Polo Masters Cup Series, the premier Cutino Cup will take place on May 21-22, 2011 at four sites in the East Bay area of Northern California:

·         Campolindo High School (Main Site)
          Soda Aquatic Center
          Moraga, Calif.

·         Steve Heaston Aquatic Center
          Acalanes High School
          Lafayette, Calif.

·         Las Lomas High School Pool
          Las Lomas High School
          Walnut Creek, Calif.

·         Bill Brown Aquatic Center
          Miramonte High School
          Orinda, Calif.

Hosted by Tri Valley Water Polo, the event will feature five levels of competition for both men's and women's teams as independent competition will occur for athletes in 20 & Over, 30 & Over, 40 & Over, 50 & Over and 55 & Over divisions.  Due to the breadth of the tournament, the host reserves the right to combine age groups if less than three teams enter and will give the option for a team to compete in the next lower age division.   

Each team is guaranteed a minimum of four games during the two-day event that offers a high quality water polo experience for Masters Water Polo.  The event will also benefit the local youth water polo community. 

As the event is intended to honor more than just the name Pete Cutino, but the legacy he created and the vision he left for what water polo can be at all levels of competition, all proceeds from the tournament will remain at the four host sites. 

To achieve this goal, local club teams will help set-up the course and run the desk at each age group pool.  In addition to the learning experience of helping out at an event of this caliber and meeting many great players of the game who will be in attendance, the local clubs will be raising funds for their efforts and assist in growing the sport of water polo in the local area - a region in which Cutino made his name and consistently gave back to the community.

About Pete Cutino
A legendary California coach and educator in swimming and water polo for over 40 years, during his 26-year tenure as the head coach of the University of California-Berkeley Cutino won eight NCAA titles and compiled a 519-172-10 career  record to rank among the all-time victory leaders in the history of water polo in the United States.

"The ability to name the Cup after an icon in water polo like Coach Cutino is a way we can honor those who have provided so much to the sport. Pete Cutino is undeniably one of the greatest and we are excited to honor him by naming the inaugural event in the Masters Cup Series in his honor," states Dan Sharadin, Director of American Water Polo.

Cutino also served as a US National and Olympic Team Coach as well as a member of the FINA Technical Water Polo Committee and the chair of the Men's International Olympic Committee.

"Pete was an instrumental part of so many lives," according to University of California head men's water polo coach Kirk Everist. "Those of us lucky enough to have been able to call him "Coach" know that our lives where forever impacted by his presence, his teachings and his never ending pursuit to bring out the best in all of us. Remembering his legacy with Masters competition is a perfect tribute."

A member of six Hall of Fames, Cutino's legacy is also remembered by the San Francisco Olympic Club which in 1999 established the Peter J. Cutino Award, the Heisman Award equivalent presented to the top male and female collegiate water polo players each year.

In September of 2004, Peter J. Cutino Sr. passed away, a loss felt by all the athletes, coaches and fellow aquatic enthusiasts who came into contact with him over his years on deck.

"Pete made all of us love the sport of Water Polo and because of that many of his "boys" still love to play the game and the Peter J. Cutino Cup will be a fitting way to honor Pete's sizable impact on each and every one of us," adds Everist.

To Register for the Cutino Cup

Teams interested in registering for the Peter J. Cutino Cup can contact the tournament host directly at:

                  Jeff Roy, Tri Valley Water Polo, 925-337-6706 (cell) / jroy2845@yahoo.com

Additional information and registration forms for the tournament are available on the Cutino Cup website at http://www.cutinocup.com. 

All athletes on a team will need to be registered as a member of American Water Polo to compete.  To minimize costs to the athletes, a discounted membership fee is available for current USA Water Polo athletes.

For additional information on the Masters Cup Series and the benefits of American Water Polo membership, access the AWP website at: http://www.americanwaterpolo.org or contact Tom Tracey, Director of Membership, at 610-277-6787 or tracey@americanwaterpolo.org

About American Water Polo
Located near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, American Water Polo (AWP) is among the leaders in a new generation of scholastic and Masters sports organizations whose purpose is to provide opportunities for athletes of all ages to enjoy the sport of water polo.

More than just an administrative service, AWP's mission is to provide opportunities for individuals of all ages to be involved in the sport of water polo and to provide its members with the highest degree of customer satisfaction at an affordable price.

Focused on giving unrivaled service to its members, American Water Polo offers insurance coverage and competitive opportunities for teams at an affordable rate by operating leagues and competitions, as well as providing assistance for individual teams to do so independent of the national office.

VA Tech Wins State Title

Collegiate and Masters teams clashed on February 26^th & 27^th, as the Greater Richmond Water Polo Club hosted the first ever Virginia State Water Polo Championship at the NOVA Aquatic Center in Richmond, VA. The colleges were represented by the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, James Madison University and William & Mary College while the Masters squads included Greater Richmond and Hampton Roads Water Polo Club. Each team played four games over the course of two days.

As the weekend progressed, it became clear that UVA and Virginia Tech would be the teams to beat. Hampton Roads, a Masters club from Virginia Beach comprised of current and former Navy personnel, gave both college teams competitive games but fell short in handing either program a loss. The host club, Greater Richmond, played UVA to the wire losing by only three goals while taking the eventual State Champion Virginia Tech to a 2-1 score early in the fourth quarter before losing 7-2 after giving up several key fast-break opportunities.

On Sunday morning, JMU almost pulled off the upset of the tournament when they lost to the UVA Wahoos by a goal. With thirty seconds remaining in regulation, UVA regained possession of the ball and buried the eventual game winner for an 11-10 victory over JMU. The win gave UVA their fourth victory and a spot in the championship game versus the Hokies of Virginia Tech.

The last time these two teams faced each other was during the fall season of the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Atlantic Division regular season competition. In that contest, it was the Hokies outlasting the Wahoos by a 9-8 final score. This meeting resulted in another closely fought match. Tech blew things open in the last quarter to gain a 12-7 victory and the state title. Virginia Tech’s win over UVA was highlighted by brilliant performances from Daniel Straight and Braxton Vinson, each with three goals, as well as strong two-meter play from UVA’s Daniel Sunday.

As an added bonus to the event, an All Tournament Team was selected and was comprised of the strongest players during the weekend:

Kurt Clauss, James Madison
John Covant, Hampton Roads
John Rogers, Hampton Roads
Daniel Sunday, UVA
Braxton Vinson, Virginia Tech
Alex Zykov, UVA
Peter Ollis, Virginia Tech (goalie)

Each member of the All Tournament Team received individual trophies to mark their accomplishment.

The inaugural Virginia State Championship was successful beyond great competition. The event provided a great experience for every participant. Every game ran on time and teams were given ample opportunities to properly warm-up. Championship shirts were available as well as an official program listing the game schedule and rosters. 

“This was a really great tournament and we appreciated how well it was run,” expressed Peter Ollis, president of Virginia Tech Water Polo. “We want to help anyway we can to ensure this becomes an annual event.”

The success of any event is also due to the efforts of the officials working hard to call the games consistently. Head Referee David Jacobs and Rodolfo Samayoa took on that responsibility all weekend and provided the host program additional support in assisting the scoring table to operate properly.   

“It was a pleasure working the tournament and my hat is off to all those involved in the planning and administration,” stated Jacobs. “I know it’s a great deal of work to ensure a well-attended, smooth and official tournament and I think they (GRWP) did a great job.”

The tournament also showcased the effort to grow water polo in the state and highlighted several younger programs still in their first few years of development. One such team is William & Mary College from Williamsburg, VA. Only in existence since the fall of 2007, the team has moved from being an intramural sport to competing against other squads. William & Mary practices three nights a week and invites anyone interested to participate even those with no previous experience.

“We (GRWP) played William & Mary in their first match back in January of 2008,” remembered Martin. “Its incredible to see how much they have come along as a program but, more importantly, how they continue to provide an opportunity for students at their school to learn an awesome sport.”  

Greater Richmond Water Polo will be hosting the Second Annual Virginia State Water Polo Championship again next year during the weekend of February 25-26, 2012. If your team is from Virginia and interested in participating, please contact Tim Martin, president of GRWP at membership@grwp.org or visit the team website at http://www.grwp.org/.  

Several of the above photos were provided by Mike Francher. Feel free to browse additional photos from the championship by visiting: 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/51544722@N04/sets/72157626045505769/with/5486975125/.

 

Pats MLL Senior “B” Champs

2011 Main Line League Schedules and Results

This past Sunday, competition reached a high level of intensity during the championship game of the Senior “B” Main Line League at Villanova University. The game pitted the top two teams from the regular season who had a combined record of 15-1. K&M went into the championship game undefeated while the Patriots lost only one game by one goal to the Knights & Maidens (10-11) back on January 23rd.

It was the Patriots who jumped on the scoring opportunities early thanks in large part to a game high five-goal performance by Chadd Crump. K&M finally got on the scoreboard well into the first half after the Pats had already extended their lead by four. But K&M didn’t give up and continued to work their way back into the game with every chance that presented itself.

The second half action started slow as both teams showed fatigue. Although the Patriots never gave K&M too many chances to get back into the contest, the atmosphere was filled with tension. In the end, the Patriots walked away with the 2011 Senior “B” Main Line League Championship by a final score 10-6. This accomplishment was reached in the Pats second year of existence as they continue to grow in numbers and ability.    

To reach the title match, K&M defeated GP Franklins (11-6) while the Patriots outlasted Lehigh University (17-12) in a high scoring offense show. The two losing teams faced off in the consolation game. The tough shooting of Lehigh turned out to be too much for the Franklins who fell to the Mountain Hawks (8-12). The victory in the 3rd place game was Lehigh University’s best finish in nine years. 

The three remaining teams competed in a round robin format to determine their final standings. The University of Delaware entered the weekend as the seventh seed but the Blue Hens handily defeated both the Drexel Dragons (12-6) and Franklin & Marshall College (15-1) to claim fifth place. The Dragons were able to outlast F&M in the final game of the weekend scoring three goals in the last minute and a half of action to win 11-8 and earn sixth place.

In addition, the Main Line League 12 & Under Experienced and Novice Divisions began their competition on Sunday in conjunction with the Senior "B" games. These two divisions focus on education and fun while introducing the sport of water polo to younger athletes. The teams play with youth size balls and the new Kap7 inflatable Junior Goals. The Novice course is 20-yards by four lanes, while the Experienced squads play 25-yards.  

While size was a big advantage for the Greater Philly Team in the Novice Division, both K&M and Rebel Polo impressed the crowd by the number younger athletes involved. The youngest player in the Novice Division was six-years old and the average age was nine. Starting their athletes at such an early age in a fun learning environment will only help solidify their programs into the future. In the Experienced Division, the teams all proved to be competitive with each other but focused on giving every athlete a chance to play equal time.

“From what I watched, all the coaches were doing a fantastic job of making the game fun for their athletes,” stated Chris McKay, who officiated the majority of the 12 & under games during the day.    

This Sunday, March 6, the Senior “A” Division continues with the final weekend of regular season games. The Kingfish Vets look to hold on to their top seed going into the championships, while Greater Philly, Princeton and the HAWCS play to fill the final three spots of the top group. Villanova University currently sits in the third position but will have to wait to see if they will remain in the top four after concluding their final regular season game last week.
 
For more information regarding competition available for local high school athletes and younger in the Main Line League, contact Tom Tracey at 610-277-6787 or tracey@americanwaterpolo.org.