ERIE, Pa. — The Mercyhurst men’s water polo team enjoyed another successful campaign in 2017, matching team marks from years’ past and having several outstanding individual performances among the best all-time in the Lakers’ program.
The Lakers finished the 2017 season with a 11-13 overall record, including a 6-1 conference record in the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference’s (MAWPC) West Region. The Lakers followed up their 2016 titles in the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division II Championship and West Region Championships with a third-place and runner-up finishes in 2017.
Mercyhurst qualified for its second-straight MAWPC Championship in the second year of the tournament’s existence. To qualify, the Lakers won a triple-overtime marathon against West Region rival Salem University in the semifinals of the West Region Championships to clinch one of two automatic bids.
The Lakers nearly upset the United State Naval Academy for the second straight season in the second round of the MAWPC Championship. The Lakers placed eighth in the MAWPC Championships this season after they finished seventh in 2016.
Several Lakers received individual awards for their efforts this season, including a few who set all-time program marks in various statistics. Junior Connor Schmitz was named to his second-consecutive MAWPC All-Conference First Team this season, while senior Andrew Too-A-Foo, junior Philip Jenny and sophomore Daniel Alvarez hauled in Second Team MAWPC honors.
In addition, Schmitz, Jenny, and Alvarez were named to the Division II Championship Tournament Team. Too-A-Foo, Schmitz and Alvarez were tabbed MAWPC West Region Tournament First Team performers while junior Matt Bachler was a Second-Team recipient.
Too-A-Foo established himself as one of the most productive goaltenders in Lakers’ program history with his performance in 2017. Too-A-Foo shattered the season record for steals with 93 steals and also broke the career steals record with 207. He is third in program history in career saves with 583.
Schmitz now ranks seventh in Lakers’ history with 107 career goals. Philip Jenny ranks eighth in program history with 104 steals.
Release courtesy Mercyhurst University Athletics Communications
