ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy water polo team (12-11, 7-2 MAWPC) will play three games this weekend to close out the regular season. The Midshipmen host two conference foes – Johns Hopkins (3:00 p.m.) and George Washington (8:00 p.m.) – on Saturday, Nov. 13 before traveling to Emmitsburg, Md. for a Sunday tilt with Mount St. Mary's (12:00 p.m.) on Nov. 14.
 
The Midshipmen, who host the upcoming Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Tournament, claim the No. 2 seed with one victory.
 
All home games during the week will be played in Lejeune Hall and will be live streamed through CWPATV on Stretch.
 
Fans can follow Navy water polo on social media. For all in-game action, follow the Midshipmen on Twitter at @NavyWaterPolo. For more information on the Mids water polo team, follow them on Instagram (@NavyWaterPolo) and Facebook (@NavyWaterPolo).
 
Accessing the USNA
The USNA is closed to all vehicles without a Department of Defense-approved identification card. All other visitors are encouraged to park downtown and walk through the security gates at Gate 1. When walking on, those ages 18 and over must present a photo identification card (driver's license) to gain access and those ages 17 and under must be accompanied by an adult.
 
COVID-19 Policy
Masks must be worn by everyone indoors regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status. Once on the USNA grounds, those who have not been vaccinated must wear a mask at all times and those who have been vaccinated have the option to wear a mask while outdoors but must wear a mask while indoors.
 
Scouting the Midshipmen
The Midshipmen enter the weekend with a 12-11 overall record, and a 7-2 record in MAWPC play. With George Washington already with five losses in the conference, the Midshipmen can secure the No. 2 seed in the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Tournament with one victory over the weekend.
 
Offensively, the Mids are led by Isaac Salinas (Spring City, Pa.), Jake Altmayer (Pasadena, Calif.), Hayden Kahn, (San Clemente, Calif.), Jack Weggeland (Riverside, Calif.), and Will Clark (Laguna Beach, Calif.). Salinas leads all Midshipmen with 63 total points, including a team-best 49 goals. Altmayer leads the team with 26 assists and has chipped in 18 goals for 44 total points. After an offensive explosion in four games last weekend, Kahn has jumped into third place on the team with 32 points on 32 goals. Weggeland (19g 12a) and Clark (11g 19a) round out Navy's top-five scorers with 31 and 30 points, respectively.
 
Defensively, Caden Capobianco (Laguna Beach, Calif.) and Max Sandberg (Newport Beach, Calif.) have seen a majority of the action. Capobianco leads the team with 193 saves in 20 games played, while registering a team-high 54 steals. Sandberg has played in 10 games with 62 stops and eight steals.
 
Scouting the Opposition
Johns Hopkins (5-17, 1-8 in the MAWPC-East)
The Blue Jays enter the weekend with a 5-17 overall record and a 1-8 mark in conference play. Most recently, Johns Hopkins played conference foes No. 15 Fordham, Wagner, and Bucknell. The Blue Jays stunned the nationally-ranked Rams, 13-12, giving Fordham its only conference loss of the season. Hopkins dropped games to Wagner (L, 17-10) and Bucknell (L, 16-8) to close out the weekend.
 
George Washington (8-13, 5-5 in the MAWPC-East)
The Colonials enter the week with a 8-13 overall record, including a 5-5 mark against league competition. Last week, George Washington dropped games to Navy (L, 12-9 in overtime), Wagner (L, 12-5), and No. 15 Fordham (L, 13-11) to fall to .500 in conference action. Prior to take on the Midshipmen, GW will host Johns Hopkins at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday morning.
 
Mount St. Mary's (6-18, 1-8 in the MAWPC-East)
The Mount enters the weekend with a 6-18 overall record, including a 1-8 record against league competition. Mount St. Mary's begins the weekend on a six-game losing streak. Last weekend, the Mountaineers dropped games to No. 15 Fordham (L, 17-9) and Wagner (L, 19-14). The Mount will host Johns Hopkins (Friday) and Penn State Behrend (Saturday) before hosting Navy and Bucknell on Sunday to close out the regular season.
 
Navy Water Polo Re-enters CWPA Rankings at No. 19
The Navy water polo team moved back into the National Top-20 poll, re-entering the rankings at No. 19, as announced on Thursday evening by the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA). This is the fourth week that the Midshipmen have been ranked during the 2021 season. Navy was ranked No. 19 in the preseason poll, while ranking No. 20 during week three and week seven of competition.
 
Kahn Named MAWPC Offensive Player of the Week
The MAWPC announced its weekly awards and Navy's Hayden Kahn (San Clemente, Calif.) was selected as Offensive Player of the Week. It is the sophomore's first weekly honor of his career. Kahn led Navy to a 3-1 record on the week with victories over George Washington (W, 12-9 in overtime), Wagner (W, 17-13), and Bucknell (W, 8-7) with the only blemish coming against No. 15 Fordham (L, 10-9). The sophomore center paced the offense with 15 goals on the week, including multiple goals in all four games with three hat tricks.
 
Last Time Out: at Bucknell (W, 8-7, Nov. 7, 2021)
Trailing 5-1 at halftime, the Navy water polo team staged an epic comeback to defeat Bucknel by one, 8-7, at Kinney Natatorium in Lewisburg, Pa. The Mids scored seven of the final nine goals of the game to earn the win.
 
Offensively, the Midshipmen scored eight goals in the win, including seven goals in the second half. Hayden Kahn (San Clemente, Calif.) and Isaac Salinas (Spring City, Pa.) led the way with two goals apiece, while Payton Comstock (Clarendon Hills, Ill.), Tommy McKnew (Tiburon, Calif.), Merle Richman (La Jolla, Calif.), and Jack Weggeland (Riverside, Calif.) each added scores. Salinas led the team with two assists.
 
Defensively, Caden Capobianco (Laguna Beach, Calif.) picked up the win at goal for the Midshipmen. The sophomore turned away seven shots, while notching four steals in the win.
 
Up Next
Following the three-game weekend, Navy will host the 2021 Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Tournament. Navy opponents and game times are yet to be determined. Each game will be live streamed through CWPATV ($).