ERIE, Pa. — Gannon University men’s water polo coach Shane Unger announced the addition of four players to the 2020 roster. Three freshman and one transfer are set to compete this fall for the Golden Knights.
“Going into the 2020-21 season for men’s and women’s water polo I have added my first recruited class of athletes under my tenure at Gannon,” Unger said. “I have added numbers to both of my rosters and look to field an impressive team for both squads. The recruits are a solid mix of high-level transfers, regional players and local talent. I expect this to be the continuation of an already impressive program and group of athletes at Gannon University.”
Gannon is coming off their second best season in program history with an 18-4 overall finish. The Knights posted a 6-0 record in conference play to remain undefeated against Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC)-West opponents in the regular season since joining in 2016.
The Knights picked up their third straight CWPA Division II Championship, their second MAWPC West Championship, the No. 7 seed in the MAWPC Tournament and 20 postseason awards. Gannon will look to build off last season’s success in the upcoming season.
“The benefit I had in coming to Gannon is that I was not coming to rebuild the programs, I was brought in to continue already established programs that have shown consistency and growth throughout their history at Gannon. I look forward to continuing to build on that consistency and keep moving in an upward direction.”
Read on to learn more about the incoming student-athletes.
Dylan Schmitzerle (Plymouth, Mich.)
Utility
Huron
Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Four-year letterwinner in swimming and water polo
- 2018 & 2019 water polo team captain
- All-District First Team
- All-District Tournament First Team (2x)
- All-Region First Team
- All-State First Team
- All-State Tournament First Team
- All-America Second Team
- Academic All-State
- Coach Quote: “Dylan comes from Michigan and brings with him big talent on the 1-2 side of the pool. After talking to his club coach and seeing his recruiting video, I knew that Dylan was going to be someone who could come into Gannon and be an impact player right away. Some athletes come in and you know as a coach that they will need some work and have to work into the college level of water polo. Dylan comes in as an established talent that I know will give us a dominant presence on both the offensive and defensive sides of the pool.”
Ruairi Murphy (Tinley Park, Il.)
Utility
Victor J. Andrew
Tinley Park, Illinois
- Defensive Player of the Year freshman season
- Most Improved Player junior season
- Most Valuable Player senior season
- Coach Quote: “Ruairi is coming from the Chicago area and has a solid background in both water polo and swimming. Ruairi’s club coach told me that he was one of the best defensive players that he has had in the history of his club. With the mix of speed, awareness, and the fast-paced counterattack system that I run at Gannon, I expect Ruairi to fit right in.”
Thomas Koeling
Utility
Webster Groves
St. Louis, Missouri
- National Honors Society
- 2019 Second Place finish at the State Level Deca Competition
- Coach Quote: “Tommy is another regional player who is joining us from the St. Louis area. Tommy is about 6’6″ with an even bigger wingspan. He is a raw player who has an unlimited potential to grow in the college game. In speaking with Tommy and his previous coaches, I know that Tommy’s raw talent, along with his already proven work ethic and coachability will make him a valuable addition to an already strong team. I look forward to watching him grow in our program.”
Vladimir Mickic (Subotica, Serbia/Nikola Tesla)
Two-Meter
Nikola Tesla / St. Francis-Brooklyn
Budapest, Hungary
- Played in 33 games for St. Francis
- Netted 52 goals with a .650 shot percentage
- Tallied 69 drawn exclusions and two steals
- Coach Quote: “Vladimir was an extremely welcomed surprise in this year’s recruiting class. Vlad comes to us from Serbia by way of a transfer from St. Francis College Brooklyn. Vlad is a high-level Division I and international player who was looking for a different setting in which to showcase his talents in the pool and the classroom. After receiving an email from him and learning a little bit about his skill and character through numerous conversations, I knew he would be a great fit for our program. Vlad is a 2-meter player on offense which is considered a specialized position in the game of water polo. It requires a high level of physical output on offense while also being able to still produce and help the team on the defensive end. Once my primary 2two-meter player Riley Hinkley (Meshoppen, Pa./Princeton) graduated this past season, I was looking for another two-meter specific player to join our already proven senior Tim Baer (San Diego, Calif./Classical Academy) to share the position. Between Vladimir coming in as a sophomore and Tim rounding out his career at Gannon this year, I am confident that we will be solid in the 2-meter position for the foreseeable future.”
