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Navy Releases 2010 Men's Water Polo Schedule
BRIDGEPORT, Pa. -- The United States Naval Academy will seek to return to the top of the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) men's varsity rankings this year as the Midshipmen announced their schedule of games for the 2010 season. Outside league play, the Mids will travel to the Bucknell Invitational and the NorCal Tournament in addition to hosting the Navy Open during the regular season.
Following a second place finish at the 2009 CWPA Eastern Championship hosted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to finish the season with a 22-9 mark, the Midshipmen will open the season at home in Annapolis, Md. on September 4-5 with the Navy Open. The next weekend, Navy will travel into Pennsylvania to take part in the Bucknell Invitational on September 11-12 against fellow CWPA institutions Queens College (N.Y.), St. Francis College (N.Y.), Brown University and Pennsylvania State University-The Behrend College, along with Diablo Valley College.
Facing potentially their most potent opponents of the season, the Mids will trek to Berkeley, Calif. to participate in the NorCal Tournament at the University of California on September 18-19. Last year's tournament had 14 of the top 16 teams in the country competing, as the Midshipmen's potential national ranking and seeding at the NCAA Championship, if Navy wins the CWPA Eastern Championship, at the end of the season will be impacted by the outcome of the games.
Following a home game against CWPA Southern Division, Western Region member Washington & Jefferson College on September 24, the Blue & Gold will begin the Southern Division, East Region season on September 25 against Bucknell University and defending Eastern Champion Princeton University at home.
Navy will make its first conference road-trip on October 6 travelling to Johns Hopkins University and George Washington Unviersity in Baltimore, Md. and Washington, D.C., respectively.
The road games will continue as away contests at Bucknell and Princeton will occur on October 16 before the Midshipmen return to port on October 30 to wrap up the league regular season schedule at home against George Washington and Johns Hopkins.
Navy will remain at home for the Southern Division Championship tournament on November 5-7 at Scott Natatorium. Navy has won 12 of the 17 Southern Division championships the league has contested.
If the Midshipmen can pick up lucky title No. 13 or finish among the top four teams in the South, the squad will advance to the newly redubbed CWPA Eastern Championship on November 19-21 in Lewisburg, Pa. on the campus of Bucknell.
Navy, and the rest of the eight-team field, will battle for the league's title and a berth to the NCAA Championship to be held on December 4-5 at the University of California.
