BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — The Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) releases the 2018 Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Players of the Week for the period ending September 2, 2018.
Player of the Week
Rade Joksimovic (Jr., Novi Sad, Serbia/Gimnazija Jovan Jovanovic Zmaj) of No. 20-ranked Bucknell University recorded 36 points on 24 goals and 12 assists in helping the Bison to a 4-1 record at the 2018 Brown University Bruno Classic to earn the September 3 Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Player of the Week award.
Joksimovic’s average of 7.20 points per contest was bolstered by a 10-point (nine goals-one assists) outing against Division III No. 7 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in a 13-9 win and an 11-point effort (six goals-five assists) versus No. 15/host Brown in a 14-7 victory. He also enjoyed strong outings against No. 8 Pepperdine University (three goals, two assists) in a 12-11 loss along with three goals and an assist in turning back Austin College by an 18-7 count.
Joksimovic now boasts 361 career points on 284 goals and 77 assists. He currently ranks fourth in career goals and ninth in career points; he entered the season needing 25 points to crack Bucknell’s Top 10 and nearly did so on the strength of just his goal total.
The award marks the fifth Player of the Week and 13th overall award from the league office during his intercollegiate career after previously earning 12 awards in 2016 on September 5 (Player/Rookie of the Week), September 19 (Player/Rookie/Defensive Player), September 26 (Player), October 10 (Rookie), October 17 (Rookie), October 24 (Rookie), November 7 (Rookie) and November 21 (Player/Rookie).
September 3 Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Player of the Week: Rade Joksimovic (Bucknell University)
Honor Roll: Jake Miller-Tolt (Fordham University); Andras Levai (George Washington University); Ryan Masi (Johns Hopkins University); Philip Penny (Mercyhurst University); Bobby Lee (United States Naval Academy); Lachlan Trabinger (Wagner College)
Defensive Player of the Week
Atakan Destici (Jr., Istanbul, Turkey/Istek Acibadem Anatolian) of No. 18-ranked George Washington University anchored a defense that allowed an average of 8.25 goals per game as the Colonials topped No. 20 Wagner College (15-14 W), Salem University (22-9 W), La Salle University (22-3 W) and Iona College (18-7 W) at the season-opening United States Naval Academy Navy Open. For his performance, Salinas earns the September 3 Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Defensive Player of the Week award.
Facing Wagner in a rematch of the 2017 MAWPC Championship title game back at the Naval Academy, he dished out three assist and drew a pair of ejections. He was the match of his foes on both ends of the tank by tacking on three goals against Salem and connecting on two scores and handing out five helpers versus La Salle prior to notching five goals, three assists, three steals and an ejection drawn in topping Iona to finish the weekend with 11 goals and 11 assists.
The award marks the second weekly accolade bestowed on Destici who previously grabbed the November 27 MAWPC Player of the Week award during the 2017 season.
September 3 Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Defensive Player of the Week: Atakan Destici (George Washington University)
Honor Roll: Patrick Coffey (Fordham University); Josh Yardley (George Washington University); Spencer Witte (Johns Hopkins University); Alec Diaz (Mercyhurst University); Ronan Williams (United States Naval Academy); Cameron Woldt (Wagner College)
Rookie of the Week
Isaac Salinas (Fr., Spring City, Pa./Malvern Prep) of the United States Naval Academy tallied nine points off six goals and three assists in a 2-1 weekend for the Midshipmen at home during the Navy Open. For his efforts, Salinas garners the September 3 Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Rookie of the Week award.
He opened his intercollegiate career with a pair of markers in a 9-7 defeat of Iona College prior to leading the team with five points versus No. 13 Princeton University with three goals and two assists for his inaugural collegiate hat-trick.
Salinas concluded the weekend with a goal and an assist in an 8-7 win over Fordham University. The win against the Rams was the first by Navy since 2015 and snapped a four-game losing skid against their conference foe.
September 3 Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Rookie of the Week: Issac Salinas (United States Naval Academy)
Honor Roll: Jayden Kunwar (Johns Hopkins University); Nash Greeven (Mercyhurst University); Vuk Bulajic (Wagner College)
