LEWISBURG, Pa.- Bucknell men’s water polo (10-15, 6-6 MAWPC) heads back to New York City for the MAWPC Conference Tournament this weekend. Bucknell earned the fourth seed and will open the tournament against the fifth-seeded Wagner Seahawks on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. The Bison swept the season series against the Seahawks. The winner will advance to the second round to challenge first-seeded Fordham. The Rams are ranked fifth nationally in the polls. All games will be available on CWPATV at the rate of $15 per match or $35 for the whole weekend.
The Opening Sprint
What: MAWPC Conference Tournament
Where: Col. Francis B. Messmore Aquatic Center (Bronx, N.Y.)
When: November 21-23
Watch: CWPATV
The Inside “Herd” on the Bison
- Bucknell finished regular season play two weekends ago with a 18-4 loss to No. 5 Fordham but rallied for a 16-15 win over Wagner.
- The Orange & Blue was picked fourth in the MAWPC Preseason Poll and the team equaled the prediction, finishing 6-6 in the MAWPC play.
- The Bison earned three All-MAWPC spots. Senior attacker Aleksa Stefanovic clinched First Team for the first time in his career after twice winning Second Team. Sophomore attacker Tyler Hedblad notched Second Team for his first All-MAWPC honor. Goalkeeper David Dumitru received Honorable Mention.
- Stefanovic leads the team with 83 goals and 183 points.
- Hedblad’s sophomore season witnessed him join Stefanovic in the 100+ point crew, totaling 125 points on 58 goals and nine assists.
Opposition Overview
- Wagner is 11-16 overall and 4-8 in MAWPC play. The Seahawks ended the regular season by beating MAWPC foe Mercyhurst 19-7. Wagner is 0-6 against ranked teams. Laszlo Strasser made All-MAWPC First Team.
- Fordham sits 23-3 overall and 12-0 in MAWPC play. The Rams have only lost to #1 UCLA, #3 Stanford, and #4 Cal. Fordham has eight ranked wins on the season and is ranked fifth – the only non-California school in the top ten. The Rams swept the major MAWPC awards, winning MVP (Andras Toth), Rookie of the Year (Alessandro Salipante), and Coach of the Year (Brian Bacharach). Five players earned First or Second Team laurels.
Up Next
Bucknell will either earn NCAA qualification or prepare for the 2026 season.
