Princeton University Athletics
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No. 10 Men's Water Polo Closes Out Regular Season Against Navy, Bucknell
October 28, 2015 | Men's Water Polo
PRINCETON, N.J. – The 10th-ranked Princeton University men's water polo team will close out its regular season slate with a pair of Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Southern Division games against Navy and Bucknell.
The Tigers host Navy at 12 p.m. before returning to DeNunzio Pool to face Bucknell at 7 p.m. Carrying a 14-4 (6-0 CWPA Southern) into the weekend, Princeton will honor its Class of 2016 as part of its Senior Day festivities prior to the start of the game against the Bison.
Saturday's contests will be broadcast on the Ivy League Digital Network.
THE WEEK THAT WAS
• Princeton swept four games from Johns Hopkins, Gannon, Navy, and George Washington last weekend.
• The Tigers dispatched of JHU, 15-8, before turning away Gannon and Navy by scores of 16-10 and 12-8, respectively. Princeton closed out the weekend with an 18-9 decision over GW.
• Against JHU, Thomas Nelson netted four goals, while Jordan Colina and Ryan Wilson each had three scores. Colina and Jamie Kuprenas also dished out a team-high three assists, while Wilson nabbed four steals.
• Nelson paved the way for the Tigers against Gannon with four goals, while Matt Payne turned in a hat-trick. Ryan Wilson had two goals and three assists, while Ryan Melosini made 11 saves.
• Wilson again played a pivotal role against Navy, netting five goals while dishing out two assists. Colina had three goals and went 2-0 on sprints, while Nelson posted a goal and two helpers. Vojislav Mitrovic made 14 saves.
• Wilson had four goals against George Washington, while Nelson recorded three scores. Colina had two goals and three assists. Mitrovic finished with 12 saves.
COMING ON STRONG
• Helping the Tigers to four-straight wins over the weekend, Thomas Nelson and Ryan Wilson combined for 29 goals, 19 steals, and 11 assists.
• Tallying 12 goals, nine steals and four assists, Nelson opened up the weekend with four goals, an assist and a steal against both JHU and Gannon. After collecting a goal, two assists and two steals vs. Navy, he had three goals and five steals against GW.
• Nelson has found the back of the opposing net in all but two of his appearances this season, posting 13 multi-goal outings.
• Wilson had 14 goals, 10 steals, and seven assists last weekend. Scoring three goals on four shots with four steals vs. JHU, he had two goals, three assists, and two steals against Gannon. Netting a career-high five goals with two assists and two steals against Navy, he had four goals, two assists and two steals vs. GW. Also drawing five ejections and collecting three blocks, Wilson went 4-0 on sprints.
• Wilson has scored in all but two of his 17 appearances this season, scoring at least three goals in a game seven times.
BEHIND THE NUMBERS
• All 13 of the Tigers' field players have recorded a goal and an assist this season, with nine players netting at least 10 goals and seven players dishing out double-digit assists.
• Thomas Nelson has scored a team-high 46 goals while collecting 16 assists.
• Jordan Colina and Ryan Wilson are tied for second on the team in goals (36). Wilson has dished out a team-high 25 helpers, while Colina has gone 23-6 on sprints with 18 assists and a squad-best 35 steals.
• Michael Swart has 24 goals and 23 assists, while Jovan Jeremic has amassed 22 goals and 18 assists.
• Jamie Kuprenas has 21 assists and 10 goals, while Matt Payne, Connor McGoldrick, and Eric Bowen have combined for 37 goals and 21 assists.
SENIOR DAY
• Princeton will honor its Class of 2016 prior to Saturday night's game against Bucknell.
• Over the course of the last four seasons, the Tigers have posted a 76-26 overall record with a 25-5 mark in CWPA Southern Division play.
• A three-time ACWPC honorable mention All-America selection, Thomas Nelson has amassed 173 goals, 56 assists, 143 steals, and 37 blocks in his 102 career appearances. Nelson's 173 goals currently rank sixth on the program charts.
• Jamie Kuprenas had collected 63 goals, 88 assists, 91 steals, and 20 blocks in his four seasons in Orange and Black. His 88 helpers currently sit fifth all-time.
• Bradley Wachtell has appeared in 102 games over the course of his career, posting 17 goals, 27 assists, 57 steals, and 23 blocks.
LAST MEETING: NAVY
• Princeton upended Navy last Saturday in Annapolis, 12-8.
• Knotted at 5-5 at the intermission, the Tigers scored four of the five goals in the third quarter before holding a 3-2 scoring edge in the final frame.
• Ryan Wilson netted a career-high five goals to go along with two assists and two steals while Jordan Colina had three goals and an assist. Thomas Nelson chipped in with a goal and two helpers.
• Playing all 32 minutes in net, Vojislav Mitrovic stopped 14 shots.
SCOUTING NAVY
• Navy carries an 11-8 overall record and 4-3 CWPA Southern mark into Saturday's showdown.
• Carl Dowzicky has a team-high 65 points this season on 41 goals and 24 assists.
• Robert Sutherland has racked up 46 points on 34 goals and 12 helpers, while Carpenter Warren has 41 points (27G, 14A).
• David Huber has 53 points on 44 goals and nine assists, while Matt Skowronski, Jared Castillo, and Thomas Allen have 29, 22, and 21 points, respectively.
LAST MEETING: BUCKNELL
• Princeton edged out Bucknell on Oct. 10, 6-4.
• Princeton held leads of 1-0 and 2-1 in the first half and 3-2 and 4-3 in the third quarter before opening up its first two-goal margin with just 15 seconds remaining in regulation.
• Jordan Colina had two goals to lead the Princeton attack, while Ryan Wilson, Jovan Jeremic, Matt Payne, and Connor McGoldrick also got on the board.
• Vojislav Mitrovic made 17 saves against the Bison.
SCOUTING BUCKNELL
• Bucknell carries a 13-8 (4-3 CWPA Southern) record into the weekend.
• Stefan Aleksic leads the team with 73 points on 48 goals and 25 assists.
• Sean Daley has 55 points (19G, 36A) while Jeff Hagen had 41 points (40G, 1A).
• Ratimir Babic has 37 points (20G, 17A), while Tommy Stupp has 34 points (19G, 15A).
• Marko Djordjevic (22G, 3A) and Nate Hunter (21G, 3A) have 25 and 24 points, respectively, while Boma Bolanca has 10 goals and 10 assists.
• Charlie Niehaus has seen the majority of time in net, posting a 0.485 save percentage.