Friday, September 27
Long Beach, CA - Ken Lindgren Aquatics Center
7:00 pm MT
Air Force Academy
at
#9 Long Beach State
Photo by: Gary Devore
Air Force Water Polo Travels To #9 Long Beach State, #1 UCLA & Chapman
9/26/2024 9:00:00 AM | Men's Water Polo
This Week: Air Force men's water heads to the greater Los Angeles area this weekend, Sept. 27-28, for three games. The Falcons take on #14 Long Beach State on Friday, #1 UCLA and Div. III #4 Chapman on Saturday.
Air Force Schedule
at Long Beach State - Friday, Sept. 28 - 6 pm PT (Ken Lindgren Aquatics Center - Long Beach, CA)
Livestats: Link
Video: None
at #1 UCLA - Saturday, Sept. 29 - 3 pm PT (Spieker Aquatics Center - Los Angeles, CA)
Livestats: Link
Video: Link
at (Div. III) #4 Chapman - Saturday, Sept. 29 - 7 pm PT (Allred Aquatics Center - Orange, CA)
Livestats: Link
Video: Link
Series History
vs. Long Beach State : Air Force is 8-35 all-time vs. LBSU. The Falcons lost 14-5 in the last meeting on Sept. 12, 2021.
vs. UCLA: Air Force is 0-25 all-time vs. UCLA. The Falcon lost 14-8 in last meeting on Sept. 30, 2023.
vs. Chapman: Air Force is 23-2 all-time vs. Chapman. The Falcons lost 20-10 to Chapman at the Titan Invite on Sept. 14.
Recapping Last Week: Air Force went 4-2 hosting the Rare Air Challenge last weekend. The Falcons opened with one-goal losses to #17 Navy, 19-18 (3OT), and #14 Harvard, 13-12. Air Force then went on to sweep Biola, 16-11, Cal Lutheran, 18-17, Augustana College, 16-9 and Iona, 16-11.
NCAA Rankings (As of 9/25/24)
Goals - Tom Leggett - 1st/63
Goals - Jack Richards - 9th/33
Points - Tom Leggett - 1st/82
Points - Jack Richards - 6th/49
Assists - Jacob Yi - 2nd/27
Assists - Jonah Vander Veen - 5th/20
Sprint Wins - Jacob Yi - 5th/11
Steals - Luca Smith - 1st/26
Steals - Jacob Yi - 2nd/25
Saves - Luca Smith - 1st/107
Recapping 2023: Air Force went 23-12 last season and 4-4 in WWPA action. The 23 wins was the second-most wins in a season in program history. The Falcons had the nations' leading points and assists scorers. Grant Snyder, who earned his third All-American honors, led the nation with a school-record 181 points and Ian Christie led the nation with a school-record 99 assists.
Who's Back: Air Force returns 15 letterwinners, including 9 of its 10 top scorers from 2023. The Falcons return UT Tom Leggett, who led the WCC and ranked second in the nation with 114 goals as a freshman. He also ranked fourth in the nation with 143 points. Sophomore Jack Richards was second on the team with 59 goals last season. Junior Luca Smith started 17 games in goal for the Falcons last season, recording 125 saves.
Who's Gone: Air Force lost four seniors to graduation. Ian Christie was the second-leading scorer for the Falcons with 92 points and a team-leading 59 assists. He graduates as Air Force's all-time assists leader with 214. The Falcons also graduated Sam De La Cruz, Cole Kopperud and Joey Schell.
Who's New: Air Force welcomes 10 freshmen from the class of 2028. The freshmen come from four different states, with six from California and two from Washington.
Aiden Blatt - AT - Bellevue, WA/Newport HS
Gavin Carter - AT - Broomfield, CA/Stargate Charter HS
Brady Kopperud - UT - Rancho Cucamonga, CA/Damien HS
Gavin Honken - C - Elmhurst, IL/York Community
Luke Logan - C - Seattle, WA/Kennedy Catholic HS
Alexander Lyukmanov - AT - Santa Monica, CA/Redondo Beach HS
Dante Nocetti - AT - Sacramento, CA/Jesuit
Jay Pyle - GK - Huntington Beach, CA/Huntington Beach HS
Owen Steckmest - AT - San Jose, CA/Valley Christian HS
Benny Swanson - C - Detroit, MI/Walled Lake Central HS
2024 Honors:
So. UT Tom Leggett
- 2024 WCC Preseason All-Conference Team
- Air Force Athletics Athlete of the Week (Sept. 9)
- WCC Player of the Week (Sept. 24)
Record Book Watch:
Most goals in a season: Tom Leggett - 63...needs 8 more goals to move into 9th most in a season at Air Force.
Most galas career: Tom Leggett - 177... needs 7 mores goals to move into 6th most ever at Air Force.
Up next: Air Force takes part in the Gary Troyer Tournament, Oct. 4-5, in Pomona/Claremont/La Verne, Calif., in addition to a Sunday, Oct. 6 game at UC San Diego.
Miscellanous Team Notes:
Air Force is in its 54th season of men's water polo ... The Falcons are in their second season at members of the West Coast Conference ... The Falcons were previously members of the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) from 1987-2022 ... sophomore UT Tom Leggett ranked second in the nation in goals (114) and fourth in points (143) as a freshman, earning ACWPC All-American Honorable Mention honors ... Leggett led the WCC in goals and points in 2023 ... freshman Brady Kopperud is the second member of his family to play Air Force water polo. His brother, Cole, was a four-year letterwinner and 2024 USAFA graduate.
Air Force Schedule
at Long Beach State - Friday, Sept. 28 - 6 pm PT (Ken Lindgren Aquatics Center - Long Beach, CA)
Livestats: Link
Video: None
at #1 UCLA - Saturday, Sept. 29 - 3 pm PT (Spieker Aquatics Center - Los Angeles, CA)
Livestats: Link
Video: Link
at (Div. III) #4 Chapman - Saturday, Sept. 29 - 7 pm PT (Allred Aquatics Center - Orange, CA)
Livestats: Link
Video: Link
Series History
vs. Long Beach State : Air Force is 8-35 all-time vs. LBSU. The Falcons lost 14-5 in the last meeting on Sept. 12, 2021.
vs. UCLA: Air Force is 0-25 all-time vs. UCLA. The Falcon lost 14-8 in last meeting on Sept. 30, 2023.
vs. Chapman: Air Force is 23-2 all-time vs. Chapman. The Falcons lost 20-10 to Chapman at the Titan Invite on Sept. 14.
Recapping Last Week: Air Force went 4-2 hosting the Rare Air Challenge last weekend. The Falcons opened with one-goal losses to #17 Navy, 19-18 (3OT), and #14 Harvard, 13-12. Air Force then went on to sweep Biola, 16-11, Cal Lutheran, 18-17, Augustana College, 16-9 and Iona, 16-11.
NCAA Rankings (As of 9/25/24)
Goals - Tom Leggett - 1st/63
Goals - Jack Richards - 9th/33
Points - Tom Leggett - 1st/82
Points - Jack Richards - 6th/49
Assists - Jacob Yi - 2nd/27
Assists - Jonah Vander Veen - 5th/20
Sprint Wins - Jacob Yi - 5th/11
Steals - Luca Smith - 1st/26
Steals - Jacob Yi - 2nd/25
Saves - Luca Smith - 1st/107
Recapping 2023: Air Force went 23-12 last season and 4-4 in WWPA action. The 23 wins was the second-most wins in a season in program history. The Falcons had the nations' leading points and assists scorers. Grant Snyder, who earned his third All-American honors, led the nation with a school-record 181 points and Ian Christie led the nation with a school-record 99 assists.
Who's Back: Air Force returns 15 letterwinners, including 9 of its 10 top scorers from 2023. The Falcons return UT Tom Leggett, who led the WCC and ranked second in the nation with 114 goals as a freshman. He also ranked fourth in the nation with 143 points. Sophomore Jack Richards was second on the team with 59 goals last season. Junior Luca Smith started 17 games in goal for the Falcons last season, recording 125 saves.
Who's Gone: Air Force lost four seniors to graduation. Ian Christie was the second-leading scorer for the Falcons with 92 points and a team-leading 59 assists. He graduates as Air Force's all-time assists leader with 214. The Falcons also graduated Sam De La Cruz, Cole Kopperud and Joey Schell.
Who's New: Air Force welcomes 10 freshmen from the class of 2028. The freshmen come from four different states, with six from California and two from Washington.
Aiden Blatt - AT - Bellevue, WA/Newport HS
Gavin Carter - AT - Broomfield, CA/Stargate Charter HS
Brady Kopperud - UT - Rancho Cucamonga, CA/Damien HS
Gavin Honken - C - Elmhurst, IL/York Community
Luke Logan - C - Seattle, WA/Kennedy Catholic HS
Alexander Lyukmanov - AT - Santa Monica, CA/Redondo Beach HS
Dante Nocetti - AT - Sacramento, CA/Jesuit
Jay Pyle - GK - Huntington Beach, CA/Huntington Beach HS
Owen Steckmest - AT - San Jose, CA/Valley Christian HS
Benny Swanson - C - Detroit, MI/Walled Lake Central HS
2024 Honors:
So. UT Tom Leggett
- 2024 WCC Preseason All-Conference Team
- Air Force Athletics Athlete of the Week (Sept. 9)
- WCC Player of the Week (Sept. 24)
Record Book Watch:
Most goals in a season: Tom Leggett - 63...needs 8 more goals to move into 9th most in a season at Air Force.
Most galas career: Tom Leggett - 177... needs 7 mores goals to move into 6th most ever at Air Force.
Up next: Air Force takes part in the Gary Troyer Tournament, Oct. 4-5, in Pomona/Claremont/La Verne, Calif., in addition to a Sunday, Oct. 6 game at UC San Diego.
Miscellanous Team Notes:
Air Force is in its 54th season of men's water polo ... The Falcons are in their second season at members of the West Coast Conference ... The Falcons were previously members of the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) from 1987-2022 ... sophomore UT Tom Leggett ranked second in the nation in goals (114) and fourth in points (143) as a freshman, earning ACWPC All-American Honorable Mention honors ... Leggett led the WCC in goals and points in 2023 ... freshman Brady Kopperud is the second member of his family to play Air Force water polo. His brother, Cole, was a four-year letterwinner and 2024 USAFA graduate.
Players Mentioned
AT
/ Men's Water Polo
AT
/ Men's Water Polo
AT
/ Men's Water Polo
C/D
/ Men's Water Polo
C
/ Men's Water Polo
UT
/ Men's Water Polo
UT
/ Men's Water Polo
UT
/ Men's Water Polo
C
/ Men's Water Polo
AT
/ Men's Water Polo
AT
/ Men's Water Polo
AT
/ Men's Water Polo
AT
/ Men's Water Polo
G
/ Men's Water Polo
AT
/ Men's Water Polo
C
/ Men's Water Polo
AT
/ Men's Water Polo
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