Air Force Academy

Sept. 30, 2009

The 15th-ranked Air Force water polo team heads out to California for five games this weekend, Oct. 2-4. The Falcons will play four games at the annual Convergence Tournament Friday and Saturday in Claremont, Calif., taking on No. 14 Concordia, as well as WWPA rivals Whittier, Redlands and Occidental. Meanwhile, Air Force wraps up the weekend Sunday by visiting another conference foe, Cal Lutheran.

Last Time Out...
Air Force compiled a 1-3 record at the NorCal Tournament Sept. 19-20, placing 14th overall. The Falcons fell to No. 6 UC Santa Barbara, 15-5, and No. 12 Santa Clara, 10-6, on the opening day. Air Force rebounded with a 9-8 win over 11th-ranked Pacific, before dropping a close 6-5 decision in overtime to 10th-ranked Concordia.

Junior Bobby Geiger was the team's leading scorer for the weekend, notching 10 goals and an assist, recording a five-goal, one-assist output in the win over Pacific. Meanwhile, freshman Cruz Smithson added five goals and three assists on the weekend.

Scouting the Falcons...
The Air Force Falcons, ranked 15th in the latest national poll, enter this weekend with a 5-7 overall record and 2-2 mark in the Western Water Polo Association.

Junior Bobby Geiger is the Falcons' leading scorer with 35 total points on the season, including a team-high 26 goals. Senior Alex Churnside, who ranks second on the team in total points (31), has tallied a team-best 20 assists on the year, while freshman Cruz Smithson ranks second on the team in both goals (19) and assists (9).

In the WWPA Rankings...
Several Air Force players currently rank among the top-10 statistical leaders in the Western Water Polo Association. Senior Alex Churnside leads the way, ranking first in the WWPA in both total steals (31) and steals per game (2.58). He also ranks tied for fourth in assists (20) and is fifth in assists per game (1.67).

In addition, senior goalkeeper David Ostrom ranks ninth in the conference in total saves (84) and saves per game (9.08). Meanwhile, sophomore Danny Harold ranks fourth in the WWPA in saves per game with 11.64.

Scouting the Eagles...
The Concordia Eagles, ranked 14th in the latest national poll, enter this weekend with a 13-2 overall record after posting a pair of wins at the Lancer Invitational last weekend. The Eagles defeated Mt. St. Antonio, 10-5, while downing Fresno Pacific, 18-8.

Concordia is coached by Steve Carerra, in his third year at the helm of the program. Among the top scorers for the Eagles is junior Milos Skaljac.

Scouting the Poets...
The Whittier Poets enter this weekend's tournament with a 5-7 overall record and 4-5 mark in the WWPA. Whittier is coming off a 1-3 performance at the Bronco Invite, defeating Cal Lutheran, 10-5, while falling to Redlands, Santa Clara and UC Davis.

The Poets are coached by Justin Pudwill, in his third season at the helm of the program. Senior Alex Perry leads Whittier's offense with 24 goals through the first 12 games of the year. Meanwhile, senior goalkeeper Casey Regehr has notched 143 saves on the season.

Scouting the Bulldogs...
The Redlands Bulldogs, receiving votes in this week's national poll, currently hold a 6-8 overall record and 4-3 mark in the WWPA. Redlands is coming off a 2-2 weekend at the Bronco Invite, defeating Whittier and Cal Lutheran, while falling to nationally ranked Santa Clara and UC Davis.

The Bulldogs are coached by Tom Whittemore, in his 22nd year leading the program. Leading the Redlands offense is senior Erik Grosshans, who has recorded 30 goals on the season, while junior Miran Terzic has added 28 goals. Grosshans also leads his team and the conference in total assists with 30 through the first 14 games of the season.

Scouting the Tigers...
The Occidental Tigers bring a 1-6 overall record into this weekend, along with a 1-3 ledger in the WWPA. The Tigers went winless at the Cal Baptist Invitational last weekend, falling to the host Lancers, along with La Verne and Riverside City College.

Occidental is coached by Larry Zubrin, in his seventh season at the helm of the program. Junior Austen Oliver is the Tigers' leading scorer on the year with 16 goals, while sophomore Tai McDermot is second with 14.

Scouting the Kingsmen...
The Cal Lutheran Kingsmen come into this weekend with a 1-9 overall record and a 1-6 mark in the WWPA. The Kingsmen went winless at last weekend's Bronco Invite, falling to Santa Clara, UC Davis, Whittier and Redlands.

The Kingsmen are coached by Craig Rond, in his seventh year leading the program. Sophomore Brandon Gross and senior Matt Heagy lead CLU's offense with 23 and 22 goals, respectively. Meanwhile, senior goalkeeper Jordan Bouey has recorded 94 saves through the first 10 games of the season.

Series Records...
This weekend will mark the just the second meeting between Air Force and Concordia. The Falcons faced the Eagles in their last contest this season, falling short in a 6-5 overtime loss at the NorCal Tournament.

Friday's game between Air Force and Whittier will be the 12th in the all-time series between the two teams, with the Falcons remaining undefeated against the Poets. The last meeting between the teams was last year, with Air Force securing a 16-2 victory.

Air Force and Redlands will have their 30th meeting all-time this weekend, with the Falcons holding a 20-9 advantage in the series. However, the Bulldogs are on a three-game winning streak against the Falcons, winning all three contests between the two teams in 2008.

This weekend's game between Air Force and Occidental will be the seventh in the all-time series, with the Falcons holding a 5-1 edge. The two teams met in 2008, with Air Force taking a 13-7 victory.

Finally, Air Force will have just its third all-time meeting against Cal Lutheran this weekend, with the Falcons going undefeated against the Kingsmen. Last season's contest between the two teams resulted in a 7-4 Air Force victory.

In the Record Books...
Senior Alex Churnside currently sits among the Academy's top 10 career scorers, ranking 10th with 221 career points (119g, 102a). Churnside just needs two points to move into a tie for ninth place. Meanwhile, Churnside is only one assist away from moving into the top five in the Falcons' record book for career assists.

In addition, two other Air Force players--junior Bobby Geiger and senior captain Jack Hines--could move into the top-25 scoring list by the end of the season. Geiger (137 points) and Hines (132 points) need to reach the benchmark of 162 career points to move into the top 25 past 1978 graduate John Wellsfry.

Up Next...
Air Force takes a break next weekend, but is back in action Oct. 17-18, when its visits Annapolis, Md., to play four games against East Coast opponents. On Friday, Oct. 17, the Falcons will take on Iona and host Navy, while wrapping up the weekend with contests versus George Washington and Johns Hopkins.

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