Air Force Academy

Oct. 14, 2009

The 15th-ranked Air Force water polo team travels to Annapolis, Md., this weekend, Oct. 17-18, to face four East Coast teams. The Falcons open Saturday with a game against 13th-ranked host Navy at 12:30 p.m. (ET), followed by a 5:30 p.m. contest versus Iona. On Sunday, Air Force plays George Washington at 9:00 a.m., and Johns Hopkins at 1:00 p.m.

Last Time Out...
Air Force went 3-1 at the Convergence Tournament Oct. 2-3, defeating conference foes Whittier, Redlands and Occidental, while falling to then-14th-ranked Concordia. The Falcons also added a 14-5 victory over WWPA rival Cal Lutheran on Oct. 4 to complete a 4-1 weekend.

Junior Bobby Geiger was the team's leading scorer for the weekend, notching 11 goals and four assists, including a four-goal, two-assist effort in the Falcons' win over Redlands. In addition, senior Alex Churnside added seven goals, seven assists and 10 steals on the weekend.

Scouting the Falcons...
The Air Force Falcons, ranked 15th in this week's national poll, enter this weekend with a 9-8 overall record.

Junior Bobby Geiger is the Falcons' leading scorer with 50 total points on the season, including a team-high 37 goals. Senior Alex Churnside, who ranks second on the team in total points (45), has tallied a team-best 27 assists on the year, while freshman Cruz Smithson ranks second on the team in goals (27) and third in points (38).

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 second in the WWPA in total steals (41) and fourth in steals per game (2.41). He also ranks sixth in total assists (27) and is fifth in assists per game (1.59).

In addition, senior goalkeeper David Ostrom ranks eighth in the conference in saves per game (8.16) and 10th in total saves (100).

Scouting the Midshipmen...
The Navy Midshipmen, ranked 13th in the latest national poll, enter this weekend with an 11-8 overall record after recording a 10th-place finish at the UCI Invitational last weekend. The Mids defeated Redlands and No. 12 UC Davis, while falling to No. 8 Long Beach State and No. 9 UC Irvine.

Navy is coached by Mike Schofield, in his 25th year at the helm of the program. Sophomore Stevie Ray leads the Midshipmen in goals scored on the season with 29, while classmate Kyle Wertz has added 24 goals. Meanwhile, senior goalkeeper Brett Rajchel (older brother of Air Force freshman Brad Rajchel) has recorded 108 saves on the season.

Scouting the Gaels...
The Iona Gaels enter this weekend with a 5-9 overall record. The Gaels are coming off a three-game roadtrip, defeating Harvard and Brown, while falling to MIT.

Iona is coached by Brian Kelly, in his 15th season leading the program. Senior Joe Przekota is the team's leading scorer with 56 goals on the season, while junior Seth Tasman has added 31 scores.

Scouting the Colonials...
The George Washington Colonials currently hold a 7-16 overall record on the season. GWU is coming off a 10-4 loss to CWPA rival Johns Hopkins.

The Colonials are coached by Scott Reed, in his 11th year leading the program. Jean-Claude Wright is the top scorer for GWU with 55 goals on the year, while Cray Rogers ranks second with 37 goals. Meanwhile, Cameron Illes leads the George Washington goalkeepers with 185 stops on the year.

Scouting the Blue Jays...
The Johns Hopkins Blue Jays bring an 8-10 overall record into this weekend. The Blue Jays are coming off their first league win of the season, a 10-4 victory over George Washington.

Johns Hopkins is coached by Ted Bresnahan, in his 19th season at the helm of the program. Kyle Gertridge has registered a team-best 29 goals on the season, while Alex Whittam is right behind with 28 goals.

Series Records...
This weekend will mark the 28th meeting all-time between Air Force and Navy, with the Midshipmen holding a 20-7 advantage. Navy won an 11-4 decision against Air Force in 2008 in the last meeting between the two teams.

Saturday's game between Air Force and Iona will be the 12th in the all-time series between the two teams, with the Falcons leading, 9-2. The teams met twice in 2008, with Air Force coming away with 15-8 and 17-5 victories.

Air Force and George Washington will have their seventh meeting in the all-time series, with the Falcons winning the six previous contests against the Colonials. Air Force came away with a 12-5 victory over GWU last season.

Finally, Air Force will have just its fifth all-time meeting against Johns Hopkins, leading the series 3-1. The two teams played three times in 2007, with the Falcons winning two of those three contests.

In the Record Books...
Senior Alex Churnside currently sits among the Academy's top 10 career scorers, ranking eighth with 235 career points (126g, 109a). Churnside just needs seven points to move into a tie for seventh place with 2007 All-American Clark Condict. Meanwhile, Churnside ranks fifth in the Falcons' record book for career assists with 109 and is just one assist away from tying for fourth place.

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 (152 points) and Hines (139 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 heads to Santa Clara, Calif., next weekend, Oct. 24-25, to take part in The Rodeo, hosted by conference rival Santa Clara. The Falcons will face off against UC Davis and Brown on Saturday, followed by contests against St. Francis and the host Broncos on Sunday.

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