BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — Thomas Lercari (Jr., Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif./Palos Verdes) of No. 15-ranked Fordham University totaled 66 saves and eight steals over the span of six games in California from Wednesday, October 18-to-Sunday, October 22, to earn the October 23 Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Defensive Player of the Week award.
A 10-time weekly honor recipient from the league office with prior laurels in 2022 (Defensive Player of the Week: October 24, October 31, November 7, November 28) and 2021 (Defensive Player of the Week: November 8, November 29; Rookie of the Week: November 8, November 22, November 29), he opened the Rams’ West Coast swing by stopping seven shots in a 12-10 loss at No. 16 University of the Pacific on Wednesday, October 18, prior to turning aside 11 scoring tries in an 18-11 loss at No. 2 the University of California on Thursday, October 19.
Competing at the Julian Fraser Memorial Tournament hosted by No. 20 Santa Clara University and No. 14 San Jose State University on Friday-Sunday, October 20-22, Lercarci helped the Rams to close out the trip with a 2-2 mark at the event.
He notched nine saves, a steal and an assist in a 10-8 loss to San Jose State on Friday, October 20. On Saturday, October 21, Fordham put a pair of checks in the win column against No. 17 California Baptist University (15-10 W) and Santa Clara (12-10 W).
Lercari finished with 11 saves and three steals in dunking Cal Baptist prior to racking up 15 stops with three steals in dispatching Santa Clara.
On Sunday, October 22, he added 13 saves – including a pair of blocked five-meter penalty shots – in a 15-14 loss to No. 4 Pepperdine University.
