2021 Washington & Jefferson College Men’s Water Polo Visual Preview
WASHINGTON, Pa. — The Washington & Jefferson College men’s water polo team commences the 2021 season at home with the W&J Invitational on September 4-5. This fall marks the 22nd season of men’s water polo at W&J.
2021 Season Outlook
The men’s water polo team enters its fifth year under the direction of head coach Nikola Malezanov. The Presidents went 0-7 during an abbreviated season this past winter. The highlight of the season was a high-scoring 25-24 loss to Salem University in the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC)-West Championships on February 28. The 49 goals were the most combined goals in a MAWPC-West Championship tournament game. The 49 combined goals were the most in a W&J match since at least 2005.
“Even though we had limited competition last school year, I was thrilled with the training process and the team’s effort, dedication, and enthusiasm,” said Malezanov. “We were not the complete team in the games we played this winter, so we were looking forward to this moment when we have everyone back on campus. We can’t wait for the games to start.”
The 2021 roster features 18 total players (16 returners, two newcomers), which consists of four seniors, 10 juniors, three sophomores and one freshman.
Leading the way is senior Will Kitsch (Mohnton, Pa./Governor Mifflin), who returns after earning MAWPC-West Championship All-Tournament Second Team honors during the spring. Kitsch totaled 10 goals during the three matches at the MAWPC Championship Tournament, which included five scores in the match with Salem. Kitsch earned Honorable Mention All-American honors as a freshman and sophomore.
“It is a pleasure to have Will on the team. His presence in the games are important. But what he does in practice and how he leads with example is even more valuable to our team,” said Malezanov. “I hope his senior year is as fruitful as the ones before.”
Fellow seniors Kyle Rubenstein (Abington, Pa./Upper Dublin), Robert Koch (Worcester, Pa./La Salle College) and Cam Spicer (Lansing, Mich./East Lansing) join Kitsch as veteran returners.
Rubenstein proved to be a reliable scoring presence last season. Spicer returns after missing the 2020-21 season and should figure into the offensive mix.
“This is a very special senior class for me. This is the first class that I recruited to our team. I am very proud to see the young men that they have become. They have been committed to the team since day one, and I am thankful for that,” Malezanov said. “They were the key part of rebuilding our roster and I could not be happier with their roles in and out of the pool.”
Ryan Bannon (Broomfield, Colo./Broomfield), Chris Edwards (Bexley, Ohio/St. Charles Prep) and Andrew Edwards (Columbus, Ohio/St. Charles Prep) each recorded multi-goal efforts at times during the 2020-21 season.
Mitchell Rubio (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) was an immediate contributor to the team in his first season this past spring. Rubio had a team-high eight points (four goals, four assists) in the match with Salem.
“We are lucky to have players that can score with ease. It helps our team’s confidence and keeps us energized,” Malezanov said. “I would be remised if I did not mention the hard work all of our players do on the defensive end. We worked hard to improve that segment, and I hope it shows this season.”
A trio of juniors, Zishuo Ma (Los Alamitos, Calif./Los Alamitos), Alex Lee (Los Angeles, Calif./Eagle Rock) and Caine Dusza (Souderton, Pa./Souderton), have all seen time in goal during their time with the Red and Black. Lee had at least seven saves in the first four matches in 2021.
“The importance of a goalkeeper role showed last season for us. It was hard to play solid defense without a trained/experienced goalkeeper,” said Malezanov. “This year is different. Both Caine Dusza and Andy Ma are back on the team. They are skilled and experienced goalkeepers that will make a difference. Both will have a chance to prove themselves in the earlier games, and we will go from there.”
2021 Roster: https://gopresidents.com/sports/mens-water-polo/roster/2021
Looking At The Schedule: A pair of matches at the W&J Invitational opens the 2021 slate on September 4. The Presidents travel to Penn State Behrend to face the host Lions, as well as Augustana College and Austin College on the weekend of September 11-12.
The Presidents travel to New London, Conn. the following weekend (September 18-19) to face Johns Hopkins University, Connecticut College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). On the weekend of September 25-26, W&J travels to Erie to face Gannon University, McKendree University, Salem and Mercyhurst University.
The Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division III Championship is set to be held at Connecticut College on October 23-24, while the MAWPC-West Championships will be hosted by Salem at Mylan Park in Morgantown, W.Va. on November 6-7.
“Our schedule is filled with DIII opponents for the most part. Creating a level field schedule has been a goal of mine for years,” said Malezanov. “We are also happy to see our stands being full again in the games to come.”
Release courtesy Washington & Jefferson College Athletics Communications
