BRONX, N.Y. — Fordham University water polo head coach Brian Bacharach and associate head coach Bill Harris announced the addition of nine players for the upcoming 2021 season.
The Rams will welcome transfer Ignacio “Nacho” Ariste (Madrid, Spain/Eurocolegio Casvi (Endicott)) and freshmen Caleb Boggan (Lafayette, Calif./Campolindo), Lucas Nieto Jasny (Barcelona, Spain/Col-legi Closa), Mark Katsev (Brooklyn, N.Y./Leon M. Goldstein), Thomas Lercari (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif./Palos Verdes), Gabriel Melillo (Lija, Malta/Saint Aloysius), George Papanikolaou (Athens, Greece/Athens College), Jacopo Parrella (Naples, Italy/Umberto I State Classical) and Victor Schultz (Sunny Isles Beach, Fla./Mast).
Bacharach on Recruiting Class: “Coach Harris and I are really excited to welcome this talented group of nine student-athletes to New York City. 2020’s recruiting class addressed many of our needs at the two-meter offense and defense positions. For 2021, we were focused on adding talented athletes that can score the ball from many different spots in the pool, but take pride excelling on the defensive end as well. The addition of a top goalie also rounds out the group well. We believe that this group has a very bright future ahead, both in and out of the pool.”
Ignacio Ariste: A 6-4 attacker from Madrid, Spain, is a transfer from Endicott College, attending their satellite campus in Madrid, where he was a Dean’s List student. He currently plays water polo for the club team, A.R. Concepcion, finishing in the top five scorers in the 2nd Spanish Senior League. Ariste is also very familiar with playing in the U.S., as he played one high school exchange season for South Eugene High School in Oregon, where he was Second Team All-State, First Team All-Conference, and MVP of the Conference Champion which South Eugene won. He also took part in the USAWP ODP National Tournament for the Pacific Northwest Team.
Bacharach on Ariste: “Coach Harris and I are excited to get Nacho to NYC. We first began recruiting him out of high school and are very happy that he has decided to join as a sophomore transfer. He is a fast, long player that shoots the ball well from the outside. His experience playing at a high level in Spain will only help as he makes the transition to U.S. collegiate water polo.”
Caleb Boggan: A 6-0 driver from Lafayette, California, was a member of the varsity swim and water polo teams at Campolindo High School in Moraga, California. He helped Campolindo to two NCS Championships (2018-19 & 2019-20) and a Norcal CIF Championship in 2019-20, while individually he was a Second Team All-League selection for 2019-20. For club, Boggan played for CCU United, where he was a Junior Olympics All-America selection in 2016, while helping the team to third place at the 2019 ODP Championship as well as runner up finishes twice at the Junior Olympics.
Bacharach on Boggan: “Caleb comes from both a top high school and club program in Northern California. In watching his game, it is clear he has learned from some of the top coaches out west. He sees the pool and opportunities as they are developing and has the talent to execute, whether it is using his strength, speed, or arm. We believe his combination of talent and experience will allow him to have an impact very quickly at the collegiate level.”
Lucas Nieto Jasny: A 6-1 driver from Barcelona, Spain, has played for Club Natacion Sant Andreu, which competes in the Platinum Spanish Senior League, the highest level of water polo in Spain. He helped his team to third place finishes at the Spanish U16 Championship and the Catalonia U18 Championship in 2019 and ended up as the second leading scorer at the Spanish Championship. Additionally, Jasny was the top scorer for the Sant Andreu U19 team.
Bacharach on Jasny: “Lucas has trained and competed with the Barcelona club Sant Andreu in the top Spanish premier division. This has afforded him the opportunity to play with and against some of the top players in the world. He is also one of the top youth players at his club. He brings an outside shot and speed that will be helpful in many ways for our attack. We think he is going to fit into our system very well and are excited he decided to become a Ram.”
Mark Katsev: A 5-11 driver from Brooklyn, New York, was a multi-sport athlete at Leon M. Goldstein High School in Brooklyn, competing for the varsity water polo, swimming, and soccer teams and was team captain for all three squads. He played club for Greenwich Aquatics, receiving the Grit Award in 2019 and was an All-Academic selection for 2020-21. At ODP 2019, he led his Cadet team in scoring with 17 goals over four games, while at the 2019 Junior Olympics, he helped the 16U team to a sixth-place finish, the highest placing for any team outside of California in that age group.
Bacharach on Katsev: “Mark comes from one of the top east coast programs with Greenwich Aquatics. It is rare to see an east coast team compete for a national championship at the Junior Olympics, and Mark’s team accomplished this feat and he was a key contributor on that squad. Mark is a talented scorer that we are excited to see transition to the collegiate level.”
Thomas Lercari: A 6-4 goalkeeper from Rancho Palos Verdes, California, was a four-year member of the water polo team at Palos Verdes High School, where he was the Daily Breeze South Bay Player of the Year in 2019 and a two-time Bay League Most Valuable Player in 2018 and 2019, helping the team to championships in each of those seasons. He also earned CIF Southern Section D2 First Team honors twice (2018 & 2019) and was a California-Hawaii All-America selection (2019). For club, Lercari played for the Palos Verdes WPC, where he was a 2017 Junior Olympics All-America honoree and a part of the ODP Coastal Zone A Team (2018). In the classroom, he was a USA Water Polo Academic All-America for 2019-20, while be a member of the English, Spanish, and National Honor Societies.
Bacharach on Lercari: “Thomas is a unique goalkeeper that brings both a combination of size and quickness. He comes with a strong list of athletic credentials that are well deserved, but we are equally excited about how his coaches and peers speak of his leadership skills, in and out of the water. Fordham water polo has a long tradition of strong athletes in goal and we are excited to see Thomas continue that tradition.”
Gabriel Melillo: A 5-11 two-meter defender from Malta, has earned 23 Caps for the Maltese National Team, playing with the U17 and U19 teams. Two of those Caps came in the 2019 U17 COMEN Cup and in the 2019 LEN Men’s U17 European Championship, where the team placed 12th, the squad’s highest-ever finish. On top of his National Team play, Melillo also plays for Sirens ASC in the top Maltese senior league. He helped the team win the U17 Winter League Championship in 2019.
Bacharach on Melillo: “Gabriel has a determination about him that is infectious. We immediately saw that through his play in the pool. He has a motor that does not stop, which is so important for a center defender. He has spent his high school years traveling to all the top tournaments in the world with the Maltese National Team as well as his summers playing in the competitive top-level Malta Senior League. We are excited for Gabriel to bring this great experience with him to the Fordham water polo program.”
George Papanikolaou: A 6-0 driver from Athens, Greece, plays for the Greek National Team, while playing club for Vouliagmeni Nautical Club, which competes in the top Greek senior league. He was team captain of the U17 Vouliagmeni team that won the Greek National Championship for the 2019-20 season, earning MVP honors. He also has earned MVP and top scorer accolades at a number of European tournaments for both his club and national team. Additionally, he was a nine-time gold medal swimmer for Athens College (High School) as a member of the “A” Association.
Bacharach on Papanikolaou: “George attended the same high school as Dimitris Koukias and played on the same club team, Vouliagmeni, as Christos Loupakis so his connection to our current team members is strong. His experience in the top Greek Senior league, Greek National Team, and as an age group national champion made him a perfect fit for our program. George is the type of player that can help his team win in many ways, whether it be through passing, defense, or scoring. We believe he will be able to immediately contribute at the collegiate level.”
Jacopo Parrella: A 6-2 driver/2-meter defender from Naples, Italy, is a member of the Italian National Team, winning a European Championship with the U18 National Team in 2019, as well as the U20 Italian National Championship. Playing club for Circolo Nautico Posillipo, he is a starter in the Italian A1 League, one of the top leagues in the world.
Bacharach on Parrella: “In a year where very little water polo was being played around the world, it was a pleasure for Coach Harris and I to be able to tune in to watch Jacopo play in the Italian A1 League since it was constantly televised online. It was equally exciting to see his team compete with some of the top Italian clubs, which feature many of the best players in the world. At the age group level, Jacopo has been a European champion with the Italian national team and a national champion with his club. Jacopo brings toughness and speed to the game, as well as a natural ability to score the ball in numerous ways. We believe he will be a great addition to the Fordham water polo family.”
Victor Schultz: A 6-0 utility player, attended Mast High School in Miami Beach, but competed athletically at Alonzo & Tracy Mourning Senior High School, playing four years of water polo and three of swimming. A three-year captain and team MVP for water polo, he earned All-Region honors twice in 2018 and 2019 and was the team leader in goals, steals, and assists in 2021. Schultz also played club water polo for Miami Beach International WPC and the Miami Riptides WPC.
Bacharach on Schultz: “We were fortunate to get to watch Victor play at a combine in Florida before the recruiting world shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Victor was having a great junior season before his season was cut short. It was clear from those short experiences that he combines great quickness and a strong shot, a perfect combination on the attack. We look forward to welcoming him to the Bronx and Fordham water polo.”
Release courtesy Fordham Unviersity Athletics Communications
