July 15, 2010
2010 Navy Water Polo Schedule
ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Navy water polo coaches Mike Schofield and Mladen Stanicic recently announced their 2010 recruiting class, which features 10 players from four states and one international country. The freshmen reported for plebe summer and the Naval Academy's Induction Day on June 30.
After seeing its three-year run as Eastern champs end a year ago, Schofield believes the group can help Navy return to the top in the fall of 2010. Five players come from talent-rich California, while four players arrive from emerging water polo states Maryland and Pennsylvania. In addition, one player, Giorgi Tsurtsumia, hails from the Republic of Georgia as an international student.
"It's a smaller group than we are accustomed to having, but we look forward to integrating these guys into what we feel is a pretty good nucleus returning," said Schofield, who owns a 553-216 record entering his 26th year at Navy. "We are interested to get them in the mix and see what they can do."
Navy returns several key players from last year's team, but Schofield figures there are a few players in the class that will contribute immediately.
"We have a pretty diverse group of guys coming from all over America," said Schofield. "We don't care where they are from as long as they can play."
2010 Navy Water Polo Recruiting Class
Eugene Chang Hacienda Heights, Calif. Wilson High School / Hill SchoolDaniel Fallon Torrance, Calif. Redondo Union High SchoolJared Griffin Arnold, Md. Severna Park High SchoolWes Hansen Erie, Pa. McDowell High School / Hill SchoolAndrew Lacosse Owings, Md. Northern High SchoolSean Mcdonald Lansdale, Pa. North Penn High SchoolThomas Schofer Coronado, Calif. Coronado High SchoolTaylor Setness Stockton, Calif. St. Mary's High SchoolScott Snowden Altadena, Calif. Pasadena High SchoolGiorgi Tsurtsumia Tbilisi, Rep. of Georgia Intl. Student
In addition, Navy has announced its 2010 fall schedule, which once again, features some of the top teams in the country. Navy beginss the season on Sept. 4-5, by hosting the Navy Open. The next weekend, Navy travels to the Bucknell Invite, where it will face Queens (N.Y.), St. Francis (N.Y.), Diablo Valley College, Brown and Penn State-Behrend.
Navy will then head west the next weekend for the NorCal Tournament in Berkeley, Calif. The tournament will likely feature the strongest field of the season. Last year's tournament had 14 of the top 16 teams in the country competing.
Navy will host rivals Bucknell and Princeton on Sept. 25, for its first CWPA Southern Division home games of the year. Navy's final home games will come on Oct. 30, when it hosts George Washington and Johns Hopkins in a pair of league games.
Navy will begin postseason play by hosting the CWPA Southern Division Tournament on Nov. 5-7, at Scott Natatorium in Annapolis. Navy has won 12 of the 17 Southern Division championships the league has contested.
The Eastern Championship will be held in Lewisburg, Pa., on Nov. 19-21, while the NCAA Championship will be held in Berkeley, Calif., on Dec. 4-5.
Navy went 22-9 a year ago and reached the finals of the Eastern Championships. Schofield returns eight letterwinners and four starters from last year's squad.
# GO NAVY #
