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Five Ranked Teams to Clash at Princeton Invitational this Weekend
2009 Princeton Invitational Schedule & Results
PRINCETON, N.J. -- The 11th-ranked Princeton
men's water polo team begins the 2009 season this weekend as it
hosts the Princeton Invitational at DeNunzio Pool. The field
features 11 teams and kicks off on Friday night when the Tigers
host fourth-ranked UCLA in a game that will air live across the
country on ESPNU.
Princeton will also face Harvard
University, No. 16 Santa Clara University and No. 19 Brown
University during the weekend. Those three games will be video
streamed live on GoPrincetonTigers.tv. Click here
for more information.
Princeton enters the 2009 season with its sights set on a return
to the Eastern Championship game after falling short last season to
Navy in the championship game, after coming up a few goals short in
2008. Princeton was 19-10 a season ago and won the Southern
Championships with a one-goal win over Navy. Princeton and Navy met
again in the Eastern Championship game a few weeks later, with Navy
taking that meeting 9-6 and earning the Collegiate Water Polo's
Automatic Bid to the NCAA Championships.
The Tigers will look to get things rolling when the 2009 season
commences with a team comprised of 17 returning players and four
newcomers. Eight of those 17 returning players are seniors as
Princeton lost just two players to graduation a season.
Princeton returns four of their top-five scorers from last season
in seniors Eric Vreeland, Mark Zalewski and Douglas Wigley, and
junior Jeff Cole. Vreeland led the team with 44 goals and Zalewski
ranked fifth with 38 goals, showing the balanced scoring options
the Tigers will have this season. Cole and Vreeland were both
All-Southern and All-Eastern selections a season ago. The Tigers
also return first-team All-South and All-East goalkeeper Mike
Merlone, who was 15-8 with 237 saves in 23 games last season.
Princeton begins the season ranked 11th in the nation and first in
the CWPA regional poll. The Tigers will meet three ranked opponents
in the opening weekend of the season in No. 4 UCLA, No. 16 Santa
Clara and No. 19 Brown. Princeton will also face top-ranked USC,
20th-ranked Bucknell and 12th-ranked Navy over the course of the
season, in addition to other potential ranked opponents in
tournaments.
Release courtesy Princeton Athletic Communications
