Players Mentioned
No. 11 Men's Water Polo Heads West for Games at Santa Clara, NorCal Invite
September 16, 2015 | Men's Water Polo
THE WEEK THAT WAS
• The Tigers went 1-1 at least week's Princeton Invitational.
• Securing a 14-8 decision in an exhibition game against Diablo Valley, Princeton dispatched of rival
Harvard, 16-12.
• The Tigers closed out the tournament with a 15-9 loss to No. 5 Pacific.
• Freshman Michael Swart paved the way against Harvard, tallying four goals and four assists. Thomas Nelson scored four goals and drew a pair of ejections, while Vojislav Mitrovic posted 11 saves.
• Leading the Princeton charge against Pacific, rookie Ryan Wilson netted four goals. Nelson chipped in with two goals and an assist, while Mitrovic turned away 13 shots.
LEADING THE PACK
• Thomas Nelson currently leads the Tigers in scoring through five games, posting 16 goals with a 0.640 shot percentage.
• Netting a career high six goals on seven shots in the season opener against Cal Lutheran, he has found the back of the opposing net in each of his five outings in 2015, including a four-goal effort in a 16-12 victory over Harvard.
• With 143 career goals, Nelson currently ranks ninth on the program's scoring list.
• Nelson is also currently tied for the team lead in assists (8) and tied for second on the squad in steals with five.
FINDING THEIR WAY
• Princeton's freshmen have played an integral role in the team's success this season, combining for 21 goals, 17 assists, and nine steals.
• Enjoying a breakout performance against Harvard, Michael Swart scored four goals on five shots, while also dishing out four assists.
• On the season, Swart has posted a 0.563 shot percentage with nine goals, eight assists, and three steals.
• Ryan Wilson paced the Tigers' offense against No. 5 Pacific, scoring on four of his nine shot attempts.
• In four appearances, Wilson has six goals, six assists, four drawn ejections, and three steals.
• Starting one of the four games he has played in, Matt Payne has six goals, three assists, and five steals, while going 4-0 on sprints.
• Freshman goalie Ryan Melosini has seen action in three contests, turning away 23 of the 33 shots he has faced en route to a 0.697 save percentage.
CLOSING IN
• With a 4-1 mark through the first five games of the 2015 season, Princeton head coach Luis Nicolao now stands just five victories shy of the 350-win plateau.
• In 18 seasons at the helm, Nicolao has amassed a 345-142 (0.708) overall record.
• The ACWPC Men's National Coach of the Year in 2004, he has been named the Eastern Coach of the Year on three occasions (2004, 2009, 2011).
• The Princeton men have captured eight Southern titles under Nicolao's tutelage, winning three Eastern crowns (2004, 2009, 2011) en route to three NCAA Tournament appearances.
• Also the head of the women's water polo program, Nicolao has led Princeton to a 410-135 (0.752) overall record, nine Southern championships and four Eastern titles.
WESTWARD BOUND
• The Tigers will head the California for their annual trip to the West Coast.
• Princeton will face Santa Clara on Thursday, Sept. 17 at 3:30 p.m. (PST) before participating in the Kap7 NorCal Invitational hosted by Stanford University on Sept. 19-20.
• Santa Clara finished 2-2 at last week's Princeton Invitational and are 2-6 all-time against the Tigers.
• Princeton will play the first of four games at the Kap7 NorCal Invitational against No. 8 UC-Irvine on Saturday, Sept. 19 at 9:25 a.m. (PST).
• Last season, the Tigers edged out UC-Irvine at the SoCal Tournament, 11-10.
• Jordan Colina went 4-0 on sprints and scored two goals, while Jamie Kuprenas had two goals and an assist. Vojislav Mitrovic finished with 14 saves.
KAP7 NORCAL INVITATIONAL SCHEDULE
Saturday, September 19 (Avery Pool)
Game 1 - 8:00 am – No. 1 Seed UCLA vs. No. 16 Seed Chapman
Game 3 - 9:25 am – No. 8 Seed UC Davis vs. No. 9 Seed Pepperdine
Game 5 - 10:50 am – No. 4 Seed California vs. No. 13 Seed San Jose State
Game 7 - 12:15 pm – No. 5 Seed UC Santa Barbara vs. No. 12 Seed Air Force
Game 9 - 2:00 pm - Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 3
Game 11 - 3:25 pm - Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 3
Game 13 - 4:50 pm - Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 7
Game 15 - 6:15 pm - Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 7
Saturday, September 19 (Belardi Pool)
Game 2 - 8:00 am – No. 2 Seed USC vs. No. 15 Seed Redlands
Game 4 - 9:25 am – No. 7 Seed UC Irvine vs. No. 10 Seed Princeton
Game 6 - 10:50 am – No. 3 Seed Stanford vs. No. 14 Seed Santa Clara
Game 8 - 12:15 pm – No. 6 Seed Long Beach State vs. No. 11 Seed UC San Diego
Game 10 - 2:00 pm - Loser Game 2 vs. Loser Game 4
Game 12 - 3:25 pm - Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 4
Game 14 - 4:50 pm - Loser Game 6 vs. Loser Game 8
Game 16 - 6:15 pm - Winner Game 6 vs. Winner Game 8
Sunday, September 20 (Avery Pool)
Game 17 - 8:00 am - Loser Game 12 vs. Loser Game 16
Game 19 - 9:25 am - Loser Game 11 vs. Loser Game 15
Game 21 - 10:50 am - Winner Game 12 vs. Winner Game 16 (Semifinal)
Game 23 - 12:15 pm - Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 15 (Semifinal)
Game 25 - 2:00 pm - Loser Game 17 vs. Loser Game 19 (7th-place)
Game 27 - 3:25 pm - Winner Game 17 vs. Winner Game 19 (5th-place)
Game 29 - 4:50 pm - Loser Game 21 vs. Loser Game 23 (3rd-place)
Game 31 - 6:15 pm - Winner Game 21 vs. Winner Game 23 (Championship)
Sunday, September 20 (Belardi Pool)
Game 18 - 8:00 am - Loser Game 10 vs. Loser Game 14
Game 20 - 9:25 am - Loser Game 9 vs. Loser Game 13
Game 22 - 10:50 am - Winner Game 10 vs. Winner Game 14
Game 24 - 12:15 pm - Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 13
Game 26 - 2:00 pm - Loser 18 vs. Loser Game 20 (15th-place)
Game 28 - 3:25 pm - Winner Game 18 vs. Winner Game 20 (13th-place)
Game 30 - 4:50 pm - Loser Game 22 vs. Loser Game 24 (11th-place)
Game 32 - 6:15 pm - Winner Game 22 vs. Winner Game 24 (9th-place)