CWPA Releases 2009 Men's Missouri Valley Club Division Schedule

BRIDGEPORT, Pa. -- University of Missouri, Lindenwood University "A", Northern Illinois University, Lindenwood University "B", Washington University, Miami University (Ohio), Illinois State University, Western Illinois University and Saint Louis University now know their path to the National Collegiate Club Championship as the 2009 Missouri Valley schedule was released by the Collegiate Water Polo Association.

The division schedule will begin on September 25-27 as the nine teams will meet at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo. in an 18-contest event before continuing in a 17-game tournament at Northern Illinois University in Dekalb, Ill. 

Following a game between the Lindenwood University "A" and "B" teams at a date and time to be determined which will wrap up the regular season slate, the nine teams will converge on Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. for the Missouri Valley Division Championship. 

The victor of the division tournament will earn the division's automatic bid to the National Collegiate Club Championship set for November 13-15 at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla.

However, in the five year history of the division, the champion has elected to attend the National Collegiate Club Championship only twice as Western Illinois (2004) and Miami (2007) won the title and accepted the bid.  In 2005, 2006 and 2008, Lindenwood University won the division, but elected to attend the Division III National Collegiate Club Championship, and was ineligible to attend the National Collegiate Club Championship as teams can only attend one postseason championship tournament.

The streak will end this year as Lindenwood, which claimed the 2006-08 Division III National Collegiate Club titles, has elected to forgo a potential berth in the 2009 DIII Club tourney for a chance to attend and win the National Collegiate Club Championship.  Washington, which is the only other Divsion III institution in the division, could attend the Division III tournament set for November 7-8 at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine.