ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy water polo team (9-9, 4-3 MAWPC) returns to action this weekend with a pair of road Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference games. The Midshipmen open the weekend at Mount St. Mary's (12-7, 5-4) at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15 at the ARCC Swimming Pool in Emmitsburg, Md. before concluding the weekend in Lewisburg, Pa. with a Sunday afternoon (12:00 p.m.) tilt with Bucknell (10-8, 7-3) at Kinney Natatorium.
Media Coverage
Live video will be available for the Mids' game against the Mount.
In addition, 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).
Scouting the Midshipmen
The Mids enter the weekend with a 9-9 overall record on the season, including a 4-3 mark in conference play. Last week, Navy posted a 3-1 record in four conference games during the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Crossover Weekend. The Midshipmen defeated Gannon (W, 15-12 in overtime), Mercyhurst (W, 17-3), and McKendree (W, 16-9), before dropping a sudden-death overtime game against Salem (L, 14-13).
Jake Altmayer (Pasadena, Calif.),
Michael Heller (Menlo Park, Calif.), and
Will Clark (Laguna Beach, Calif.) lead the Midshipmen. Altmayer paces the offense with a team-high 44 points, tying Heller with a team-best 26 goals to go along with his team-high 18 assists. Heller has contributed 11 helpers to give him 37 total points, while Clark has a balanced 20 goals and 16 assists for 36 total points. Duchez is tied with Clark with 20 goals, while
Tommy McKnew (Tiburon, Calif.) has added 18 scores.
Ivan Pang (El Monte, Calif.) and Clark are tied for second on the team with 16 assists.
Defensively, Capobianco has seen a majority of time between the posts. The junior has appeared in 16 of 18 games, notching 151 saves and registering a 45.9 save percentage. In addition, Capobianco leads the team with 51 steals.
Jack Hightower (San Diego, Calif.) earned a pair of victories during the CWPA Crossover Weekend, finishing with 15 saves and a pair of steals. For the season, Hightower has 20 stops and a 44.4 save percentage with five steals.
Kyle Yelensky (Stamford, Conn.) leads the team with 18 ejections drawn, while McKnew is second with 17.
Hayden Kahn (San Clemente, Calif.) has added 15 kickouts drawn, while Clark,
Travis Berzins (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.), and
Chris Kim (Los Angeles, Calif.) also have double-digit KOD with 11, 10, and 10.
Scouting the Opposition
Mount St. Mary's (12-7, 5-4 MAWPC) – Going 2-1 last weekend, the Mount defeated Johns Hopkins twice and took George Washington to the brink of their first conference defeat. Tommaso Baldineti earned Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Player of the Week on Wednesday with 21 goals and a 60 percent scoring rate. Baldineti also crossed 100 goals on the season in the second Hopkins win.
Navy is 3-0 all-time against Mount St. Mary's. The Mids picked up their first conference win of the season earlier in the year, defeating the Mount, 16-13, in Annapolis.
Bucknell (10-8, 7-3 MAWPC) – The Bison return to action after a 1-1 weekend. Bucknell opened last weekend with a commanding 18-4 win against Johns Hopkins before suffering a 12-11 setback against No. 19 George Washington in the nightcap. Bucknell now stands at 10-8 on the season, and is now 7-3 in MAWPC contests this fall. The Bison are currently third in the standings with 14 points, trailing only the Colonials (9-0) and Fordham (8-0). The matchup against Navy is the first of two scheduled meetings for Bucknell this season. Navy currently occupies the sixth spot in the conference standings with a 4-3 record.
Navy leads the all-time series with Bucknell, 87-28. The Mids have won the last three meetings, including a pair of one-goal victories in last season.
Up Next
Navy continues competition next weekend with a pair of road contests. The Mids will travel to Staten Island, N.Y. for a conference tilt with Mount Wagner (Saturday, 10:00 a.m.) before continuing the weekend in the Bronx, N.Y. for a match up with at Fordham (Saturday, 3:00 p.m.).
