2012 St. Francis Brooklyn NCAA Final Four Tournament Guide

Transcription

1 2012 St. Francis Brooklyn NCAA Final Four Tournament Guide 2012 EASTERN CHAMPIONS 2012 NCAA Men s Water Polo Final Four December 1-2, 2012 McDonald s Swim Stadium Hosted by: University of Southern California

2 2012 MEN S CWPA EASTERN CHAMPIONSHIPS ST. FRANCIS BROOKLYN 10 BUCKNELL, 9 DOUBLE OVERTIME

3 2012 St. Francis College Men s Water Polo Results Opponent Result Brown L, 9-8 Fordham W, 9-4 California-Berkeley L, 16-3 Bucknell W, 8-7 Mercyhurst W, 14-6 Bucknell W, 7-5 Brown L, 9-8 Iona W, Brown L, 14-9 Connecticut College L, 5-0 California Lutheran L, 5-0 USC L, 15-4 Long Beach State L, California-Davis W, 12-6 Princeton W, 9-8 MIT W, Harvard W, 14-9 Fordham W, Connecticut College W, 14-3 Harvard W, Brown * W, 8-7 Navy W, Mercyhurst W, Bucknell $ W, OT * Northern Division Championship $ Easterns Championship QUICK FACTS QUICK FACTS Location Brooklyn Heights, NY Founded 1859 President Brendan J. Dugan 68 Enrollment 2,600 Nickname Terriers Colors Red & Blue Affiliation NCAA Division I Conference Northeast Home Court (Capacity) Pope PE Center (1,200) Peter Aquilone Court School Website Athletics Website Faculty Athletic Representative Dr. Jennifer Lancaster ATHLETICS Director of Athletics Irma Garcia 80 Associate Director of Athletics Anthony Kurtin 00 Assistant Director of Athletics Carl Quigley 75 Senior Woman Admin./Dir. of Marketing Meghan K. O Brien Director of Compliance Jim Hoffman Director of Athletic Communications David Gansell Men s Water Polo Contact David Gansell Assistant Sports Info Director Brian D. Morales 08 Head Athletic Trainer Andrew Cornicello, MED, MS, A.T.C Asst. Trainer (MWP Contact) Lynson Willis, A.T.C. Asst. Trainer Armando Rodriguez, A.T.C. Asst. Trainer Strength and Conditioning Director Asst. Strenght and Conditioning Coach Justine Stevenson Yuki Miyazawa Max Barnhart IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS Athletics Department Phone (718) Athletics Fax (718) Sports Information Phone 1 (718) Sports Medicine Phone (718) COACHING STAFF Head Coach Igor Samardzija Overall Record at St. Francis (Fourth) Overall Career Record Same Assistant Coach Filip Sasic Volunteer Assistant Coach Srdjan Mihaljevic Men s Water Polo Office Phone (718) TEAM INFORMATION Final 2012 Record 16-8 Final 2012 CWPA Record Tournament Victories: 2012 Northern Division 2012 CWPA Easterns Previous NCAA Appearances: 2005, Eastern Tournament MVP Marko Gencic has 209 career goals. HOW TO REACH US: David Gansell, Director of Athletic Communications Phone: (w) Phone: (c) Fax: dgansell@sfc.edu

4 Brendan J. Dugan, President After 40 years in commercial banking, Brendan J. Dugan decided to return to his alma mater, St. Francis College, as President in He had served as Chairman of the College s Board of Trustees before that, and as a member of the Board played a leading role in the College s $40 million fundraising Campaign for Big Dreams. President Dugan s last banking position was Chairman & CEO of Sovereign Bank s Metro NY/NJ Division. Sovereign had recently acquired Independence Bank where Mr. Dugan worked since Prior to joining Independence, he served as Chief Operating Officer of Citibank Commercial Markets ( ), President of European American Bank ( ) and President and Chief Executive Officer of NatWest USA ( ). While at each of these institutions, Mr. Dugan helped develop and manage the implementation of growth strategies in the areas of Commercial and Retail Banking, Leasing and Real Estate Lending, all of which are integral to the New York economy. Mr. Dugan is also a Director of Cox and Company, a manufacturer of aerospace parts for military and civil applications. Reflecting a commitment to community involvement, Mr. Dugan is a board member of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Regional Plan Association, Partnership for New York City, the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, and the Futures in Education Endowment Fund. He also serves on the Finance Council of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn. In the past he was active with the New York Bankers Association and was a member of its Board of Directors and Legislative Policy Committee. Community organizations bestowing honors upon him in the past include the Greater Jamaica Development Corp., the Anti Defamation League of B Nai Brith, Helen Keller Services for the Blind, the Crohns and Colitis Foundation, the American Jewish Congress, Neighborhood Housing Services, Good Shepherd Services, Touro Law School, St. Francis College, the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, the Brooklyn Children s Museum, The Boy Scouts of America, and Brooklyn Legal Services Corp. He resides in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn with his wife, Barbara.

5 St. Francis College was founded in 1859 as St. Francis Academy by a group of newly arrived Franciscan Brothers from Ireland. The Brother s mission was to educate young men from working-class families in the Brooklyn Diocese. St. Francis Academy provided a sound education with a rigorous curriculum and personal support, all for a modest tuition, characteristics that endure today. In 1884, St. Francis College received its Charter from New York State establishing a literary college which could award diplomas, honors, and degrees. In 1926, St. Francis College built a larger campus near its original site in Cobble Hill, where it remained until the 1960s when the College relocated to its current site on Remsen Street in Brooklyn Heights. The new location and opening the College s doors up to women for the first time led to an influx of students from all five boroughs of New York City and beyond, doubling the student population. The cornerstone of the St. Francis College experience is academics. All students complete a core curriculum that offers a foundation for intellectual and professional growth; once completed, they choose from one of 70 majors, many in the liberal arts and others geared to specific professions, included a five year combined Bachelor s/master s degree in Accounting. An honors program serves students of high achievement and a broad scholarship program supports those who are likely to perform well academically. An NCAA-Division I institution, St. Francis College offers students the opportunity to play for any of 19 varsity men s and women s athletic teams, including its men s basketball team, whose program is among the oldest in New York City. Teams compete in many wellknown New York City venues such as the USTA National Tennis Center, home of the U.S. Open, Icahn Stadium on Randall s Island and Aviator Sports at Floyd Bennett Field. Today, first-generation college-goers and students of all backgrounds are among St. Francis College s diverse population. Its Catholic-Franciscan heritage, central to life at the College, allows faculty and administrators to embrace, support, and encourage all students as they pursue fulfillment of their dreams. About St. Francis College

6 Head Coach Igor Samardzija-Fourth Season Career Record (Fourth Season) 2012 CWPA Northern Division Coach of the Year 2011 CWPA Northern Division Coach of the Year 2010 NCAA Final Four, 2012 NCAA Final Four 2010 & 2012 Eastern Champions 2009, 2010, 2012 Northern Division Champions St. Francis College Men s Water Polo s Head Coach Igor Samardzija was hired in the summer of 2009 by St. Francis Director of Athletics Irma Garcia. Since then, Samardzija has directed the Terriers to an overall record of and pair of Final Four appearances in 2010 and now in He was named the 2011 & 2012 CWPA Northern Division Coach of the Year. The Terriers have also exceled in the classroom during Samardzija s tenure. Last season, St. Francis College was among only three schools to receive NCAA Academic Progress Rates (APR) Public Recognition awards in men s water polo for the academic year. These awards are given each year to teams with APRs in the top 10 percent in each sport. It is a great honor for me to become a member of the St. Francis family and to be given the opportunity to lead the College s most successful athletic program, said Coach Samardzija at the time of his hiring. I am truly excited about this position and will have trouble waiting for the official start of the season to justify the confidence AD Garcia has in me and the rest of the team. Samardzija of both Serbian and Croatian descent has spent years in both the European and American Water Polo communities. He has coached the men s and women s club teams at Columbia University where he led teams to three state titles ( 06 08) and was named New York coach of the year twice ( 06-07). He is licensed as a water polo coach by the Italian Olympic Committee and also a volunteer coach and referee at Asphalt Green in Manhattan. Samardzija was also an assistant coach at Tent (Obrenovac, Serbia) and played for both Tent, and Red Star (Belgrade, Serbia). My mission is to prove that championship caliber water polo is played outside of California by eventually bringing the National NCAA title to Brooklyn Heights where it belongs, added Coach Samardzija. Our current roster is composed of the best available national and international talent. Their past performance and stellar academic success make me very optimistic for the future. Samardzija replaced Carl Quigley, who resigned from his post after coaching the Terriers for 34 years, which included six Northern Division Championships and a trip to the NCAA Final Four in Finding someone to fill the shoes of coach Quigley s was initially a daunting task, said Garcia. Igor came to us with a proven track record of success and more importantly, a deep understanding of personal and pool dynamics. We are confident his experience will help to maintain and even enhance the high standards that Carl set for our student athletes.

7 2012 St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers Roster No. Name Pos. Ht. Cl. Hometown/High School 1 Igor Mladenovic GK 6-3 Jr. Belgrade, Serbia / Sportska Gimnazija 1A Luka Raic GK 6-3 So. Zagreb, Croatia / X. Gimanzija "Ivan Supek" 2 David Lonnberg D/2M 6-1 So. Stockholm, Sweden / Kungsholmens Gymnasium 3 Marko Dzigurski C 6-2 Jr. Novi Becej, Serbia / Sredna Skola Novi Becej 4 Jacob Barashick C 6-3 Fr. Orlando, FL / Bishop Moore Catholic 5 Vuk Vujosevic D 6-2 So. Belgrade, Serbia / Milos Crnjanski 6 Guram Nozadze D 6-0 Sr. Stockholm, Sweden / Kungsholmen Gymnasium 7 Cole Hamre C 6-2 Fr. Orlando, FL / Lake Nona 8 Luka Vukomanovic UT 6-1 Jr. Belgrade, Serbia / 4th Belgrade Gymnasium 9 Bosko Stankovic C 6-2 Jr. Belgrade, Serbia / Sport Gymnasium 10 Marko Gencic A 6-1 Sr. Belgrade, Serbia / Sports Gymnasium 11 Liam Veazey D 6-1 Fr. Dallas, TX / Bryan Adams 12 Tyler Perkins UT 6-1 Jr. Erie, PA / McDowell HS (Pennsylvania) 13 Matthew Varela D/UT 5-8 Fr. La Habra, California / Sonora 14 Aleksandar Jakovljevic UT 5-10 Fr. Apple Valley, California / Granite Hills 16 Balint Toth D 6-6 So. Budapest, Hungary / Kolcsey Ferenc Gimnasium Coaching Staff Head Coach: Igor Samardzija Men's Water Polo Assistant Coach: Filip Sasic Volunteer Men's Water Polo Coach: Srdjan Mihaljevic

8 2012 St. Francis Brooklyn Men s Water Polo Bios # 1 Igor Mladenovic Position: Goalie Height: 6-3 Class: Junior Hometown: Belgrade, Serbia High School: Sportska Gimnazja 2010 All-Northern Division 2nd Team selection All- Northern Division 2nd Team selection All-Northern Division First Team selection All-Tournament Team at Eastern Championships... Three-time CWPA Northern Division Defensive of the Week in He has earned the award seven times during his three years at SFC...Member of 2010 Final Four team. Quarters Played: 84 Shots Against: 494 Saves: 225 Saves PCT: 61.0% Missed Shots: 77 Goals Against: 192 Steals: 37 Assists: 7 PK s Saved: 11 Goals: 3 Kick-outs: 7 Turnovers: 2 # 1A Luka Raic Position: Goalie Height: 6-3 Class: Sophomore Hometown: Zagreb, Croatia High School: X. Gimanzja Ivan Supek # 2 David Lonnberg Position: Defender/2Meter Height: 6-1 Class: Sophomore Hometown: Stockholm, Sweden High School: Kungsholmens Gymnasium # 3 Marko Dzigurski Position: Center Height: 6-2 Class: Junior Hometown: Novi Becej, Serbia High School: Sredna Skola Novi Becej Member of the 2010 Final Four team. # 4 Jacob Barashick Position: Center Height: 6-3 Class: Freshman Hometown: Orlando, Florida High School: Bishop Moore Catholic Quarters Played: 12 Shots Against: 67 Saves: 21 Saves PCT: 52.0% Missed Shots: 14 Goals Against: 33 Steals: 7 Assists: 1 PK s Saved: --- Goals: --- Kick-outs: 1 Turnovers: 2 Games Played: 24 Shots: 10 Goals: 7 Assist: 8 Steals: 24 Blocks: 1 PK s Drawn: --- KO s Drawn: 8 Kick-outs: 24 Turnovers: 7 Swim-off: 7 Games Played: 24 Shots: 40 Goals: 20 Assist: 1 Steals: 15 Blocks: 1 PK s Drawn: 6 KO s Drawn: 24 Kick-outs: 9 Turnovers: 26 Games Played: 22 Shots: 22 Goals: 7 Assist: 2 Steals: 8 Blocks: --- PK s Drawn: --- KO s Drawn: 3 Kick-outs: 6 Turnovers: 11 Swim-off: 1

9 2012 St. Francis Brooklyn Men s Water Polo Bios # 5 Vuk Vujosevic Position: Defender Height: 6-2 Class: Sophomore Hometown: Belgrade, Serbia High School: Milos Crnjanski 2012 CWPA Northern Division Second Team...Scored eight goals in the 2012 Eastern Championships against Bucknell University in the finals...named Outstanding of the Match after the semi-final match after he scored four goals against Mercyhurst in 2012 Eastern Championships. Games Played: 22 Shots: 80 Goals: 35 Assist: 26 Steals: 45 Blocks: 6 PK s Drawn: 3 KO s Drawn: 16 Kick-outs: 27 Turnovers: 27 # 6 Guram Nozadze Position: Defender Height: 6-0 Class: Senior Hometown: Split, Croatia High School: V.Gimnazija Vladimir Nazor Member of the 2010 Final Four Team. # 7 Cole Hamre Position: Center Height: 6-2 Class: Freshman Hometown: Orlando, Florida High School: Lake Nona # 8 Luka Vukomanovic Position: Utility Height: 6-1 Class: Junior Hometown: Belgrade, Serbia High School: 4th Belgrade Gymnasium # 9 Bosko Stankovic Position: Center Height: 6-2 Class: Junior Hometown: Belgrade, Serbia High School: Sport Gymnasium 2012 All-Easterns Tournament Team selection...scored four goals on four shots, including the game-winner on a back-hander with 1:40 remaining in the Northern Division championship match against Brown...Stankovic scored three times in the final frame. Games Played: 24 Shots: 43 Goals: 12 Assist: 20 Steals: 22 Blocks: 1 PK s Drawn: --- KO s Drawn: 13 Kick-outs: 40 Turnovers: 19 Games Played: 20 Shots: 14 Goals: 1 Assist: --- Steals: 5 Blocks: --- PK s Drawn: 1 KO s Drawn: 3 Kick-outs: 13 Turnovers: 12 Swim-off: 1 Games Played: 22 Shots: 28 Goals: 13 Assist: 1 Steals: 18 Blocks: 1 PK s Drawn: 1 KO s Drawn: 2 Kick-outs: 13 Turnovers: 20 Games Played: 23 Shots: 78 Goals: 42 Assist: 8 Steals: 34 Blocks: 5 PK s Drawn: 13 KO s Drawn: 75 Kick-outs: 24 Turnovers: 40

10 2012 St. Francis Brooklyn Men s Water Polo Bios # 10 Marko Gencic Position: Attack Height: 6-1 Class: Senior Hometown: Belgrade, Serbia High School: Sports Gymnasium All-time leading scorer at SFC with 324 points (209 goals & 115 assists)...honorable Mention All-American in 2010 and First Team All-East and All-North selection NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team selection All-North Team selection CWPA Northern Division Second Team All Tournament at Easterns Easterns Most Valuable after scoring 15 goals in three matches including the game-winning tally against Bucknell in the finals. Games Played: 24 Shots: 162 Goals: 65 Assist: 39 Steals: 30 Blocks: 10 PK s Drawn: --- KO s Drawn: 15 Kick-outs: 13 Turnovers: 38 Swim-off: 7 # 11 Liam Veazey Position: Defender Height: 6-1 Class: Freshman Hometown: Dallas, Texas High School: Bryan Adams 2012 CWPA Northern Division Second Team # 12 Tyler Perkins Position: Utility Height: 6-1 Class: Junior Hometown: Erie, Pennsylvania High School: McDowell High School # 13 Matthew Varela Position: Defender/Utility Height: 5-8 Class: Freshman Hometown: La Habra, California High School: Sonora # 14 Aleksandar Jakovljevic Position: Utility Height: 5-10 Class: Red-shirt Freshman Hometown: Apple Valley, California High School: Granite Hills Games Played: 24 Shots: 60 Goals: 18 Assist: 10 Steals: 25 Blocks: 5 PK s Drawn: 1 KO s Drawn: 6 Kick-outs: 22 Turnovers: 26 Swim-off: 9 Games Played: 14 Shots: 5 Goals: 1 Assist: --- Steals: 3 Blocks: --- PK s Drawn: --- KO s Drawn: 2 Kick-outs: 4 Turnovers: 1 Games Played: 13 Shots: 8 Goals: 3 Assist: 2 Steals: 2 Blocks: --- PK s Drawn: --- KO s Drawn: --- Kick-outs: 2 Turnovers: 3 Games Played: 10 Shots: 12 Goals: --- Assist: --- Steals: --- Blocks: --- PK s Drawn: --- KO s Drawn: --- Kick-outs: 2 Turnovers: 3

11 2012 St. Francis Brooklyn Men s Water Polo Bios # 16 Balint Toth Position: Defender Height: 6-6 Class: Sophomore Hometown: Budapest, Hungary High School: Kolcsey Ferenc Gimnazium Games Played: 23 Shots: 65 Goals: 24 Assist: 6 Steals: 28 Blocks: 10 PK s Drawn: 4 KO s Drawn: 3 Kick-outs: 28 Turnovers: St. Francis Brooklyn Men s Water Polo Stats Shots Goals Apg Assist Steals Blocks Pk's Drawn KO's Drawn Kickouts Turnovers Swim off SFC TOTAL % TEAM AVERAGE OPPONENTS % 259 LEADERS Record (W-L) 18 Goal Differential: SFC AVERAGE / QTR OPP. I Qtr II Qtr III Qtr IV Qtr I Qtr II Qtr III Qtr IV Qtr OT SD % Name Games played Shots Goals % Assist Steals Blocks Pk's Drawn KO's Drawn Kickouts Turnovers Swim off David LÖnnberg % Marko D igurski % Jacob Barashick % Vuk Vujoševi % Guram Nozadze % Cole Hamre % Luka Vukomanovi % Boško Stankovi % Marko Gen i % Liam Veazey % Tyler Perkins % Matt Varela % Alex Jakovljevi Balint Toth % Name qtrs'. plyd Shots against Saves Missed Shts Goals Against Steals Assist Pk's saved Goals Kickouts Turnovers Igor Mladenovi Saves Percentage 61% Luka Rai Saves Percentage 52% Man Down Def: 206 Shoots/Saves Men-Up Opportunities Meters For Man-Down saves: Men-Up Scores 90 5-Meters against: Percentage 61% 246 Percentage 52% Category Leaders Games Played David Lonnberg 24 Marko Dzigurski 24 Guram Nozadze 24 Marko Gencic 24 Liam Veazey 24 Shots Marko Gencic 162 Vuk Vujosevic 80 Bosko Stankovic 78 Balint Toth 65 Liam Veazey 60 Category Leaders Shot Percentage David Lonnberg 70.0% Bosko Stankovic 54.0% Marko Dzigurski 50.0% Luka Vukomanovic 46.0% Vuk Vujosevic 44.0% Assists Marko Gencic 39 Vuk Vujosevic 26 Guram Nozadze 20 Liam Veazey 10 David Lonnberg 8 Goals Steals Marko Gencic 65 Vuk Vujosevic 45 Bosko Stankovic 42 Bosko Stankovic 34 Vuk Vujosevic 35 Marko Gencic 30 Balint Toth 24 Balint Toth 28 Marko Dzigurski 20 Liam Veazey 25 Category Leaders Blocks Marko Gencic 10 Balint Toth 10 Vuk Vujosevic 6 Bosko Stankovic 5 Liam Veazey 5 PK s Drawn Bosko Stankovic 13 Marko Dzigurski 6 Balint Toth 4 Vuk Vujosevic 3 Cole Hamre 1 Luka Vukomanovic 1 KO s Drawn Bosko Stankovic 75 Marko Dzigurski 24 Vuk Vujosevic 16 Marko Gencic 15 Guram Nozadze 13 Category Leaders Kickouts Guram Nozadze 40 Balint Toth 28 Vuk Vujosevic 27 David Lonnberg 24 Bosko Stankovic 24 Turnovers Bosko Stankovic 40 Marko Gencic 38 Vuk Vujosevic 27 Marko Dzigurski 26 Liam Veazey 26 Swim Offs Liam Veazey 9 Marko Gencic 7 David Lonnberg 7 Jacob Barashick 1 Cole Hamre 1

12 Road to The Final Four: 2012 Northern Championships Terriers Capture Northerns With 8-7 Comeback Win Against Brown The St. Francis Terriers captured the 2012 Northern Division Championship with an 8-7 comeback victory over the host Brown Bears on Nov. 4 in Providence, Rhode Island. It was a good overall defensive effort and great run in the last quarter, said Terriers head coach Igor Samardzija. I am pleased with the character this team has shown as we managed to win the game after trailing by two for the most part of the second half. This win puts us in a better position going into Easterns yet we need to make sure to take it one game at a time and not overlook our first opponent. The #15 ranked Terriers trailed 6-4 entering the final quarter but St. Francis dominated Brown in the final stanza, outscoring the Bears by a 4-1 margin. Bosko Stankovic, who scored four goals on four shots, notched the game-winner on a back-hander with 1:40 remaining in the match. Stankovic scored three times in the final frame. Marko Dzigurski, Vuk Vujosevic, Marko Gencic, and Balint Toth each added a tally. St. Francis had dropped all three regular-season meetings against #12 ranked Brown this season before coming through in the finals. The Terriers also defeated Connecticut College (14-3) and Harvard (17-14) in the tournament.

13 Road to The Final Four: CWPA Eastern Championships PRINCETON, N.J. --Tournament Most Valuable Marko Gencic (Sr., Belgrade, Serbia/Sports Gymnasium) skipped home a feed from Balint Toth (So., Budapest, Hungary/Kolcsey Ferenec Gimnazium) with 1:25 left in the second overtime period for the season-deciding tally as No. 12 St. Francis College held off No. 15 Bucknell University, 10-9 OT, to claim the 2012 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Eastern Championship. The Terriers (16-8), who had to overcome a Bison (17-14) fourth quarter comeback that nearly ended St. Francis season in the Garden State rather than the sunny shores of the Golden State of California at the University of Southern California for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship on Decemeber 1-2. The Terriers earned an automatic bid to their third NCAA Final Four and their second in the last three seasons after they survived two back-to-back nailbiters to claim the league crown. Gencic, who scored the game-winner with 1:25 remaining, was named the MVP after amassing 15 goals. Following a victory over No. 17-ranked Mercyhurst University in the semifinals, the Terriers opened the game with a cold streak as Southern Division of the Year Brian Barron (Sr., Oak Park, Ill./Fenwick) struck for a five-meter penalty shot at the 5:48 mark to put the Bison in front 1-0. St. Francis tied the score 25 seconds later via a blast by Bosko Stankovic (Jr., Belgrade, Serbia/Sport Gymnasium) at 5:23, but the Bison regained the scoring advantage with 24 seconds remaining in the opening period on a sweeping shot by Mike Kimble (Jr., Lafayette, Calif./Acalenes) to make it 2-1. The Terriers tied the game-up with 6:26 left in the first half as Stankovic found a crack in the Bison defense for a man-up strike. St. Francis gained its first lead of the contest less than two minutes later when Marko Dzigurski (Jr., Novi Becej, Serbia/Sredna Skola Novi Becej) beat Bucknell goalie Matt Napleton (Sr., Oak Park, Ill./ Fenwick) with a shot that skimmed the water and settled into the back of the cage at 4:43 to stake SFC to a 3-2 lead. Similar to the Terriers comebacks, Bucknell erased the margin with extreme precision as Barron slammed a five-meter penalty shot past the diving body of St. Francis netminder Igor Mladenovic (Jr., Belgrade, Serbia/Sportska Gimnazija) at 4:31 to even the damage at three-all. Following a penalty call on Toth and a yellow card to St. Francis head coach Igor Samardzija at 1:34, the Bison went back in front courtesy of another succesful fivemeter penalty shot by Barron to make it 4-3. However, the pack from New York refused to lay down as Vuk Vujosevic (So., Belgrade, Serbia/Milos Crnjanski) unleashed the equalizer at 1:06 with the squads at even-strength as the Bison and Terriers went to their corners at halftime knotted at four-all. The tie lasted for 46 seconds to start the third quarter before Gencic came alive for his first of three goals on the afternoon to put the Terriers ahead 5-4. For St. Francis, the goal ignited the program s offense as Vujosevic (5:31), Dzigurski (2:32) and Liam Veazey (Fr., Dallas, Texas/Bryan Adams) (1:25) connected on scoring shots to cap off a 4-0 run to begin the second half and make it 8-4. Bucknell answered the run with one of their own as Alex Nowlin (Jr., Coto de Caza, Calif./Tesoro) finished a six-on-five chance with 54 seconds on the clock to move the Bison within 8-5 at the conclusion of the third quarter. The run continued to begin the fourth quarter as Barron (7:20) and Rookie of the Tournament Stefan Aleksic (Fr., Belgrade, Serbia/Sport Gymnasium) (6:18) rocketed in natural goals to cut St. Francis lead down to 8-7. Three and a half minutes later, the lead disappeared as Nowlin notched his second goal of the afternoon to close out the run and balance the scoreboard at eight-all with 2:40 left on the clock. Neither team was able to find the back of the cage in regulation as the Napleton and the Bison defense stymied the Terriers offense on man-up chances at 2:18 and 1:06, while St. Francis and Mladenovic turned aside a man-up opportunity with 45 seconds left on the clock to bring on overtime. Bucknell went back in front 26 seconds into the first OT frame as Jack Else (Jr., Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) broke loose for a point-blank shot and score at the 2:34 mark, but St. Francis answered at the 55 seconds mark as a line-drive by Gencic ticked off Stankovic and into the cage to equalize the score at nine-all. Following back-and-forth play to begin the second overtime period during which Napleton and Mladenovic stiffled their opposing shooters, the Bison had a chance to go back in front. After the ejection of David Lonnberg (So., Stockholm, Sweden/Kungsholmens Gymnasium) at 2:42 to put the Bison on the power-play, Bucknell worked the ball around the perimeter looking for an open shot. However, the Terriers defense went on the prowl and sniffed out the play to keep the Bison from attempting a shot and force a turnover as the shot clock expired. On the heels of a fruitless St. Francis man-up bid dat 1:48, Gencic rose to the occassion and earned his MVP status by skipping a pass to the right side from Stankovic up and over the left arm of Napleton with 1:25 on the clock for the championship and season deciding factor. Bucknell had two chances over the final minute to put away a tying score and force sudden death, but Mladenovic stopped a shot on a man-up chance with 57 seconds to go. Regaining possession of the ball with 6.83 seconds left on the game clock, the Bison went again went on the power-play as Guram Nozadze (Sr., Stockholm, Sweden/Kungsholmens Gymnasium) made the lonely trek to the corner with three seconds left to hand the Bison one final chance on a man-up opportunity. However, fate did not smile on the Bison as Nowlin s desperation heave as the clock expired sailed high over the crossbar and the outstretched hands of Mladenovic to crown the Terriers the 2012 Collegiate Water Polo Association Eastern Champions. Overall, the title marks Northern Division Champion St. Francis third title in seven tries as the team previously captured the 2005 (10-9 W vs. Navy at Harvard University) and 2010 (8-4 W vs. Navy at Bucknell University) championships, while falling in the 1999 (vs. the University of Massachusetts), 2000 (13-12 L OT SD vs. Navy at Brown University), 2004 (3-2 L OT SD vs. Princeton at Bucknell) and 2007 (11-7 L vs. Navy at Harvard) tilts. For the Southern Division Champion Bison, which were making their first appearance in the league title game since 1993, the five-time Eastern Champions (1975, ) have now since their best seasons end at the hands of St. Francis. In 2010, Bucknell suffered a 10-9 loss in the CWPA Eastern Championship semifinals at home in Lewisburg, Pa. to the Terriers which prevented the Bison from reaching that year s championship game. Similar to the 2010 meeting between the two programs, the dogs once again had their day against the Bison. St. Francis College Bucknell Bucknell Goals: Brian Barron (4); Alex Nowlin (2); Jack Else; Stefan Aleksic; Max McElvy St. Francis Goals: Marko Gencic (3); Vuk Vujosevic (2); Marko Dzigurski (2); Bosko Stankovic (2); Liam Veazey Saves: Bucknell - Matt Napleton (10) ; St. Francis - Igor Mladenovic (6) Exclusions: Bucknell - 5 ; St. Francis - 13 Advantage Opportunities: Bucknell - 4-for-13 ; St. Francis - 1-for-5 Sprints: Bucknell - 6-for-6 ; St. Francis - 0-for-6 Cards: YC - St. Francis (Head Coach Igor Samardzija, 1:34 left in 2nd) Officials: Alex Stankevitch, Michael Goldenberg

14 St. Francis College Men s Water Polo Recent History & Accolades EASTERN CHAMPIONSHIPS (WINNER RECEIVES NCAA AUTOMATIC BID) nd place nd place loss to Navy (SDOT) th place loss to Harvard 6-7 and UMass rd place loss to Navy 9-7 and win over Princeton rd place loss to Princeton 9-6 and win over Queens nd place loss to Princeton 3-2 (SDOT) and win over Navy st place wins over Navy 10-9 and Princeton rd place lost to Princeton (2OT) defeated Bucknell nd Place loss to Navy 11-8 defeated Harvard nd place win against Brown Did not qualify st place wins over Johns Hopkins 9-8; Bucknell 10-9; Navy rd place win over Brown, st place win over Bucknell, EASTERN COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS nd place nd place st place win over Princeton 15-10, Navy 10-5 and UMass nd place loss to UMass th place loss to Navy 7-5 in 1 st round and win over Iona rd place loss to Navy st place win over Bucknell and Princeton st place win over Princeton 10-6 and Navy st place win over Navy 10-9 and Bucknell st Place wins over Navy 8-7(OT) and Princeton st Place win over Johns Hopkins Did not qualify st Place wins over Fordham 19-7; Princeton 7-6; Brown 13-8 CWPA NORTHERN DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIPS nd place st place win over UMass nd place loss to Queens nd place loss to Queens 9-8 (SDOT) nd place loss to Queens 9-10 (SDOT) st place win over Harvard st place win over Brown st Place win over Brown st Place win over Brown st Place win over Brown Did not qualify st Place win over Brown st Place win over Brown st Place win over Brown 8-7 NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS th place loss to USC 14-8 and Loyola Marymount th place loss to USC 10-7 and Loyola Marymount 9-7 USA WATER POLO NATIONAL ACADEMIC CHAMPIONSHIP RANKINGS st place st place st place st place rd place th place rd place rd place NCAA DIVISION I ALL AMERICANS 1997 Oliver Djordjevic (honorable mention) 1998 Oliver Djordjevic (honorable mention) 1999 Oliver Djordjevic (2 nd team selection) 1999 Csaba Biro (honorable mention) 2000 Roland Manyai (3rd team selection) 2000 Ali Gozluk (honorable mention) 2001 Ali Gozluk (honorable mention) 2002 Peter Felvegi (honorable mention) 2003 Gergely Fabian (honorable mention) 2004 Botond Szalma (honorable mention) 2004 Aleksandar Stankovic (honorable mention) 2004 Gergely Fabian (honorable mention) 2005 Stephan Mudreac (honorable mention) 2005 Gergely Fabian (honorable mention) 2006 Bogdan Petrovic (honorable mention) 2006 Botond Szalma (honorable mention) 2007 Botond Szalma (honorable mention) 2010 Marko Gencic (honorable mention) 2011 Marko Gencic (honorable mention) ALL CONFERENCE AND POST SEASON AWARDS 1999 CWPA Northern Division All Conference Selections 1 st Team Oliver Djordjevic 1 st Team Csaba Biro 2 nd Team Ali Gozluk Coach of the year: Carl Quigley 1999 CWPA Eastern Championship All Tournament Team 1 st Team Oliver Djordjevic 2 nd Team Roland Manyai 2 nd Team Ali Gozluk 2000 CWPA Northern Division All Conference Selections 1 st Team Roland Manyai 1 st Team Ali Gozluk 1 st Team Tamas Katona 2 nd Team Csaba Biro of the Year: Roland Manyai 2000 Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Co-MVP: Roland Manyai /Ali Gozluk 2000 CWPA Eastern Championship All Tournament Team 1st Team Roland Manyai 2001 CWPA Northern Division All Conference Selections 1 st Team Peter Felvegi 1 st Team Ali Gozluk 2 nd Team Ongjen Mustur 2001 CWPA Eastern Championship All Tournament Team 1 st Team Ongjen Mustur 2002 CWPA Northern Division All Conference Selections 1 st Team Peter Felvegi 2 nd Team Bela Rex-Kiss 2002 CWPA Eastern Championship All Tournament Team 1 st Team Peter Felvegi 2 nd Team Bela Rex-Kiss 2003 CWPA Northern Division All Conference Selections 1 st Team Gergely Fabian 2 nd Team Stepan Mudreac 2003 CWPA Eastern Championship All Tournament Team 1 st Team Gergely Fabian 2004 CWPA Northern Division All Conference Selections Gergely Fabian Botond Szalma Aleksandar Stankovic 2004 Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Most Valuable : Gergely Fabian 2004 CWPA Eastern Championship All Tournament Team 1 st Team Gergely Fabian 1 st Team Botond Szalma 2 nd Team Milos Vuksic 2 nd Team Aleksandar Stankovic 2005 CWPA Northern Division All Conference Selections 1 st Team Gergely Fabian 1 st Team Botond Szalma 2 nd Team Nemanja Pucarevic of the Year: Gergely Fabian 2005 Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Most Valuable : Botond Szalma 2005 CWPA Eastern Championship All Tournament Team 1st Team Botond Szalma 1 st Team Gergely Fabian 1 st Team Dusko Radovanac 2 nd Team Stepan Mudreac Most Valuable : Botond Szalma Coach of the Year: Carl Quigley

15 St. Francis College Men s Water Polo Recent History & Accolades 2006 Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Most Valuable : Dusko Radovanac 2006 Northern Division All Conference Selections of the Year Botond Szalma 1 st Team Dusko Radovanac 1 st Team Bogdan Petrovic 1 st Team Botond Szalma 2 nd Team Nemanja Pucarevic 2 nd Team Filip Kisdobranski Rookie of the Year: Filip Kisdobranski 2006 CWPA Eastern Championship All Tournament Team 1 st Team Bogdan Petrovic 1 st Team Botond Szalma 2007 Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Most Valuable : Nikola Djuric 2007 CWPA Northern Division All Conference Selections of the Year: Botond Szalma 1 st Team Nemanja Pucarevic 1 st Team Filip Kisdobranski 2008 CWPA Northern Division All Conference Selections of the Year: Nemanja Pucarevic 1st Team: Nikola Djuric (Goalie) Boris Plavsic Nemanja Pucarevic 2 nd Team: Pedja Predin 2008 CWPA All-East Conference Selections 2 nd Team: Nikola Djuric (Goalie) Nemanja Pucarevic 2008 CWPA Eastern All-Tournament Team Nikola Djuric (goalie) Nemanja Pucarevic 2010 ECAC Tournament: Tournament MVP: Igor Mladenovic (Goalie) 2010 CWPA All-Conference Selections 1 st Team: Boris Plavsic Marko Gencic 2 nd Team: Igor Mladenovic (Goalie) 2011 CWPA All-Conference Selections 1st Team: Filip Sasic Marko Gencic 2nd Team: Igor Mladenovic Aleksandar Pantic Coach of the Year: Igor Samardzija 2012 CWPA All-Conference Selecdtions 1st Team: Marko Gencic Igor Mladenovic 2nd Team: Bosko Stankovic Vuk Vujosevic Liam Veazey Coach of the Year: Igor Samardzija ACADEMIC INDIVIDUAL HONORS AND AWARDS 2000 Tamas Bakacs St. Francis College Valedictorian 2000 Tamas Bakacs NCAA Post Graduate Scholarship Semi- Finalist 2001 Roland Manyai nominated for Pete Cutino Award (NCAA player of the year) 2002 Tamas Katona NCAA Post Graduate Scholarship Winner ($ ) 2005 Gergely Fabian NCAA Post Graduate Scholarship Winner ($ ) Other Team Accomplishments nd place Mid Atlantic Conference Varsity B division 1997 Villanova Wildcat Invitational Champions 8-5 win over Queens College 2006 Academic All American Selections Andrija Vrdoljak 4.00 GPA Dusko Radovanac 3.65 GPA Carlos Omana 3.64 GPA Filip Kisdobranski 3.88 GPA Pedja Predin 3.87 GPA Botond Szalma Nemanja Pucarevic 3.40 GPA 3.87 GPA Overall team GPA: Nemanja Simonovic: Elite 88 award 2005 Eastern Champions 2010 Eastern Champions 2012 Eastern Champions 2010 Elite 88 award recipient Nemanja Simonovic

16 2012 National Collegiate Men's Water Polo Championship p December 1-2 Universityi it of f Southern California i December 1 December 2 Game 1-1pm p.m. PT Game 3-1pm p.m. PT Game 2-3:12 p.m. PT Game 4-3:12 p.m. PT No. 1 Southern California (27-0) Game 1 1pm p.m. Game 3 No. 4 Air Force (19-10) 10) Game 4 Third Place 1 p.m. No. 3 St. Francis (NY) (16-8) 3:12 p.m. National Champion Game 2 3:12 p.m. No. 2 UCLA (27-4)