ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The No. 20 Navy water polo team (15-5, 5-3) will play four Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) games in three days to conclude the regular season. The Midshipmen open the weekend at home on Friday against Wagner (15-11, 6-3) at Scott Natatorium at 7:00 p.m. before heading to Baltimore, Md. for a game on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. at Johns Hopkins (5-14, 1-8) at the Newton White Athletic Center – Natatorium. The Mids conclude the weekend with a pair of home games on Sunday against Mount St. Mary's (6-18, 0-9) and George Washington (9-12, 3-6). The game against the Mount is slated for 11:00 a.m. while the game versus the Revolutionaries will take place at 3:00 p.m.
Sunday's game against Mount St. Mary's will serve as Senior Day for Navy with the Midshipmen recognizing their nine seniors –
Travis Berzins,
Caden Capobianco,
Nathan Duchez,
Owen Gurich,
Hayden Kahn,
Ivan Pang,
Merle Richman,
Spencer Shelley, and
Kyle Yelensky – prior to the game.
Navy's home games will be live streamed on
YouTube, while its game at Hopkins will be streamed on the
Centennial Digital Network.
For additional in-game action and information on the Mids water polo team, follow the Midshipmen on X (
@NavyWaterPolo), Instagram (
@NavyWaterPolo), and Facebook (
@NavyWaterPolo).
Scouting the Midshipmen
The Mids enter the week with a 15-5 overall record on the season with an 5-3 mark in the MAWPC. Following a 10-8 road loss to No. 17 Fordham on Saturday, Oct. 14, Navy has had time to rest and recover with over two weeks off.
Offensively, the Midshipmen have tallied 265 goals in 20 games (13.3 gpg) with 23 different student-athletes finding the back of the net. Navy is led by freshmen
Kiefer Black,
Aiden Day, and
Sam Collingwood, who have 46, 35, and 30 goals scored respectively.
Hayden Kahn follows with 22 goals, while
Nathan Duchez (18),
Tommy McKnew (18),
Billy Zech (12),
Rory Begin (12), and
Michael Heller (11) round out the double-digit scoring.
Black leads the way with 39 of Navy's 150 assists this season. He is joined by Begin (16),
Ivan Pang (15), and Day (10) with double-digit helpers.
Defensively, goalkeeper
Caden Capobianco has seen a majority of time between the posts. The senior team captain has appeared in 16 games, notching 158 saves and a 53.0 save percentage.
In addition, Capobianco leads the team with 42 steals. Black is the team's leading position player with 32 steals, while
Holden Seybold (17), Begin (15),
Luka Sekulic (13), Day (11), and Collingwood (10) follow with double-digit takeaways. McKnew (34), Kahn (29), and Black (16) pace the squad in ejections drawn, while Zech (12), Duchez (11), and Heller (11) follow with double-digit kickouts drawn.
Scouting the Opposition
Wagner (15-11, 6-3)
The Seahawks enter the weekend on a four-game winning streak, having defeated Iona (W, 12-11), Mount St. Mary's (W, 18-12), George Washington (W, 15-11), and Bucknell (W, 15-13) over the last two weekends. Earlier this season, Wagner edged Navy, 13-12, in Princeton, N.J. in the first conference game of the season. The Seahawks hold a 10-7 advantage in the all-time series, winning three of the last four contests.
Johns Hopkins (5-14, 1-8)
The Blue Jays come into the weekend after finishing as the runner-up at the Division III Eastern Championship. Hopkins defeated Penn State Behrend (W, 20-6) and Connecticut College (W, 24-6) before falling to tournament host and champion MIT (L, 12-8). The Blue Jays picked up their first conference win of the season prior to the DIII Championship, edging the Mount, 12-11. Earlier this season, the Midshipmen used a 19-10 victory over the Blue Jays to improve to 63-9 all-time against Johns Hopkins. JHU will host Mount St. Mary's on Saturday (12:00 p.m.) prior to taking on Navy.
Mount St. Mary's (6-18, 0-9)
The Mount will play Johns Hopkins (Saturday / 12:00 p.m.) and George Washington (Saturday / 6:00 p.m.) before taking on Navy on Sunday morning. The Mountaineers have dropped four consecutive contests and continue to look for their first conference victory. Navy defeated Mount St. Mary's, 16-7, in Morgantown, W.Va. earlier this season, improving the Mids' all-time record against the Mount to 4-1.
George Washington (9-12, 3-6)
The Revolutionaries make their second trip to Annapolis on Sunday. Earlier this year, Navy posted a 15-6 win against George Washington at Scott Natatorium. GW, who enters the weekend on a two-game skid, takes on Wagner (Saturday / 12:00 p.m.) and Mount St. Mary's (Saturday / 6:00 p.m.) in D.C. before making the trip to Annapolis on Sunday. With the win earlier in the year, Navy improved to 58-14 all-time against George Washington.
National Rankings
Navy remained ranked in the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) national rankings, coming in at No. 20 this week, as announced by the league office on Wednesday afternoon. The Midshipmen entered the preseason poll ranked No. 20, but moved up as high as No. 13 following a strong outing in California that included a 10-9 upset of then-No. 9 Long Beach State. The Mids ranked No. 18 in the Week 2 poll before coming in at No. 19 the last six weeks.
Capobianco Named to Cutino Award Watch List
For the second straight year, USA Water Polo and The Olympic Club are excited to collaborate with the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) on the Cutino Award Watch List. Navy senior team captain
Caden Capobianco was among the 20 student-athletes selected to the watch list.
The Peter J. Cutino Award, named in honor of the late Hall of Fame coach, recognizes the best player in men's and women's college water polo. This watch list was created in 2022 in an effort to help promote the college game, awareness of the honor, and the excellent play of athletes around the country.
Capobianco has played in 16 of 20 games at goal this season, registering 158 saves. The senior boasts a 53.0 save percentage, upping his career mark to 51.8. The team captain has recorded 11 double-digit save performances on the year, including five games against teams ranked in the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) national poll. Additionally, Capobianco leads the team with 42 saves.
Up Next
Following the busy weekend, the Midshipmen will have a week off before traveling to Lewisburg, Pa. for the 2023 Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Tournament hosted by Bucknell University at Kinney Natatorium. Navy's opponents and game times are yet to be determined.
