Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Men's Water Polo Set for Southern Division Showdown With Bucknell
October 29, 2014 | Men's Water Polo
| Gametime | Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014 Princeton vs. Bucknell, 1 p.m. |
| @pwaterpolo l @PUTigers l @PUTigers_live | |
| Princeton |
Roster l Schedule l Statistics |
| Bucknell | Roster l Schedule l Statistics |
| Facility | Kinney Natatorium |
| All-Time Series | Princeton leads Bucknell, 40-14 |
| Last Meeting | Sept. 28, 2014 - Princeton 9, Bucknell 6 (Recap) |
| Last Weekend | Princeton Takes Two From Fordham, Iona |
THE WEEK THAT WAS
The Princeton men's water polo team extended its win streak to six games with a pair of victories over Fordham and Iona last Saturday at DeNunzio Pool. Opening the day against the Rams, the Tigers saw six different players record a goal en route to a lopsided 11-3 triumph. Battling the Gaels for the second time this season, the Orange and Black narrowly edged out Iona in overtime, 13-12.
Jordan Colina and Kayj Shannon each had a hat trick against Fordham, with Drew Hoffenberg adding a pair of scores. Curtis Fink, Jovan Jeremic and Connor McGoldrick accounted for the other three Princeton tallies, while freshman goalie Vojislav Mitrovic made 11 saves.
Behind Colina's career-high six goals and a pair of Hoffenberg overtime scores, the Tigers tripped up Iona in the nightcap. Hoffenberg finished with three goals and two assists, while Colina also went 6-0 on sprints with a team-high three steals. Jeremic chipped in with two goals and a helper, while Mitrovic stopped 16 shots.
CONTINUING TO IMPRESS
In the midst of a stellar freshman season, Jordan Colina had a big day last Saturday to help Princeton improve to 17-3 on the season. Netting three goals on four shots against Fordham, he also went 2-0 on sprints. Posting a career-best six goals against Iona, he was 6-0 on sprints with three steals and two drawn ejections. In 20 appearances this season, he is second on the team in goals (36) and steals (34), while going 48-6 (0.890) on sprints. Scoring a goal in 19 of his 20 outings, Colina has factored into the scoring in each of his first 20 collegiate contests.
STANDING TALL
With 16 saves against Iona, freshman goalie Vojislav Mitrovic matched a career best previously set against Johns Hopkins (Sept. 7) and Loyola Marymount (Oct. 11). Posting double-digit saves in all but three of his 15 appearances, Mitrovic has made an immediate impact during his rookie campaign, recording a 13-2 overall record with a 0.591 save percentage. So far in 2014, he has twice been named the CWPA Southern Division Defensive Player of the Week, garnering recognition on Sept. 8 and Oct. 13.
HOLDING STEADY
With a pair of wins over Fordham and Iona, Princeton retained the No. 9 spot in the CWPA national top-20 poll. The only non-California school in the top-10, the Tigers had climbed as high as No. 8 on Sept. 17. The No. 8 ranking was the highest-ever by an East Coast team in the poll's modern era. Prior to this season, Princeton achieved a top-10 ranking in 2004 (No. 9), 2005 (No. 9), 2009 (No. 10) and 2011 (No. 10). The team's 17-3 start is the program's best since the 2003 squad opened the year with a 17-2 ledger. After winning each of its first 10 games, the 2004 Tigers dropped four of their next six before rattling off 13-consecutive wins en route to a program-record 25 victories. In 1999, Princeton emerged victorious in 16 of its first 17 games, while last year's squad opened the year with a 14-4 mark.
ANOTHER CLOSE CALL
With Saturday's 13-12 win over Iona, Princeton improved to 9-1 in games decided by two goals or less. Earlier in the year, the Tigers clipped the Blue Jays, 10-8. Going 3-0 in overtime games, the Orange and Black defeated UC-Irvine on Sept. 14 (14-12) before besting Navy on Oct. 5 (11-10). This season, the Tigers also own close victories against George Washington (14-12), Loyola Marymount (9-7), UC-Davis (9-8) and Brown (9-7).
SCOUTING BUCKNELL
Bucknell carries a 12-6 (4-3 Southern Division) record into Saturday's showdown in Lewisburg, Pa., having emerged victorious in each of its last seven games. Going 5-0 at last weekend's Santa Clara Rodeo, the Bison recorded wins over No. 16 Santa Clara (9-8), No. 15 Air Force (9-7), Cal Baptist (13-10), No. 14 UC-Davis (11-10) and Fresno Pacific (9-8).
Pacing the Bucknell attack, Stefan Aleksic notched 18 points on nine goals and nine assists. The junior currently leads the team in points (63) with 36 goals and 27 helpers. Grant Curry is second on the team in scoring with 41 goals and 11 assists, while Nick Hale has 45 points on the year (15G, 30A). Sean Daley has also pieced together a solid season, amassing 44 points on 17 goals and 27 helpers.
Logging the majority of the minutes in net, Keegan Williams has started all 16 of the team's contests this season. Stopping 160 of the 295 shots he has faced, he enters the weekend with a 0.542 save percentage.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Princeton is 40-14 all-time against Bucknell, having already notched a win over the Bison earlier this season. While the Tigers have a combined 30-4 record at home and on neutral sites, the Orange and Black are just 10-10 in road games against the Bison.
WHEN LAST WE MET
Princeton earned a hard-fought 9-6 decision over Bucknell at DeNunzio Pool on Sept. 28. Drew Hoffenberg led the Tiger attack with three goals, while Jamie Kuprenas had two goals and an assist. Jovan Jeremic chipped in with a pair of scores, while Connor McGoldrick dished out three helpers.
Bucknell secured a 12-5 win over Princeton last season in Lewisburg, Pa. Hoffenberg had a pair of goals, while Thomas Nelson, Kayj Shannon and Kuprenas combined for the other three tallies.