No. 19 Air Force Hosts Chapman in Conference Series
9/8/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Water Polo
Sept. 8, 2010
The 19th-ranked Air Force water polo team plays its first and only home games of the season this weekend, Sept. 11-12, with a series against WWPA opponent Chapman. One game, slated to begin at 10:00 a.m., will be played each day. Due to renovations in the Cadet Natatorium, both games will take place at the Cadet Water Polo Pool.
Last Time Out...
Air Force opened the 2010 season last weekend at the Triton Invitational, compiling a 1-3 overall record. The Falcons defeated conference foe La Verne, 13-6, while falling to No. 6 Loyola Marymount, No. 10 Pacific and No. 11 host UC San Diego.
The Falcons received balanced team scoring with five goals each from seniors Bobby Geiger and Matt Versage, while sophomore Alex Arcidiacono tallied four goals (all in the win over La Verne). In goal, sophomore Mike Fish recorded 33 saves in his first weekend of varsity competition, including 13 stops against 10th-ranked Pacific.
Scouting the Falcons...
The Air Force Falcons, ranked 19th in the latest national coaches poll, enter this weekend with a 1-3 overall record, including a 1-2 mark in the Western Water Polo Association.
Seniors Bobby Geiger and Matt Versage share the team lead with five goals each, while sophomore Alex Arcidiacono has scored a team-best six points (4g, 2a). Meanwhile, senior Matt Shields leads the Falcons with five assists through the first four games of the season.
Scouting the Panthers...
The Chapman Panthers open the 2010 season with this weekend's games. The Panthers, ranked seventh in the latest Division III poll, finished the 2009 season with a 12-18 overall record and eighth-place finish at the WWPA Championship.
Chapman is coached by Eric Ploessel, in his fourth year at the helm of the program. Senior Steve Neville (43g, 42a) and junior Pierre Masson (28g, 16a) are the top returning offensive players from the 2009 season, while sophomore goalkeeper Taylor Roszkos returns after earning WWPA All-Freshman team honors last season.
Series Records...
This weekend's meeting between Air Force and Chapman is the 14th in the all-time series, with the Falcons undefeated against the Panthers. The teams last met in November 2009, with Air Force capturing a 10-2 road win against Chapman.
In the Record Books...
Senior captain Bobby Geiger currently sits among the Academy's top 20 career scorers, ranking 14th with 207 career points (152g, 55a). Geiger needs just three more points to move into a tie for 13th place and 16 points to break into the top 10. Meanwhile, he is just 14 goals away from moving into the top five in the Falcons' record book for career goals.
Up Next...
Air Force faces some of the top teams in the nation next weekend, Sept. 18-19, when it returns to action at the NorCal Invitational, hosted by Cal. In addition, the Falcons will also face conference rival UC Davis for a road game on Sept. 20.
