2019 Season Recap

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The 2019 season was the inaugural season for the Buckeyes in the Big Ten Division of the CWPA. After eight successful seasons in the Great Lakes division, a move to the Big Ten was decided upon by the team and approved by the CWPA.

As they’ve done the past few seasons, the Buckeyes began the year hosting the Labor Day Tournament at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. This tournament brought masters and junior teams from Columbus, Big Ten competitor Michigan State, and D3 Club powerhouse Washington University in St. Louis. In order to work on team chemistry on a team of 40+ members, the Buckeyes split into two even teams to face the competition. The Buckeyes went 3-4-1 between the two teams against all of the competition.

Next up was a preseason tournament at Michigan State, where the Buckeyes would play a slew of Michigan teams. First up was that Team Up North, and the Buckeyes came away with a 12-9 win. The second game of the day was MSU Alumni, and the Buckeyes eked out a 13-12 win. In the third game of the day, the Buckeyes ran out of steam against the host Spartans and fell 6-13. The next morning, the Buckeyes dispatched the Ann Arbor masters team 18-9 to round out the weekend.

To end the first half of the season, the Buckeyes traveled to the University of Tennessee for their annual Hillbilly Invite. After a more grueling start to the season, the Buckeyes defeated the host Volunteers, Bluff City Masters, University of Kentuckey, the Nashville Waves, and the Charlotte Sharks by a combined margin of 62-7 to win the tournament.

The second half of the season means Big Ten competition has begun. The Buckeyes returned to Michigan State for the first conference weekend. The weekend started with an overtime loss against the Spartans(12-13), followed by wins over MSU B(8-3), Purdue(16-6), and Northwestern(12-3). The following weekend, the Buckeyes headed to Indiana for the crossover tournament. Four games ended in four wins for the Buckeyes with victories over Indiana (17-5), Iowa (forfeit), Wisconsin (10-8), and Illinois (12-7) to end the regular season with a 7-1 record in Big Ten competition.

Heading into Big Ten Championships at Purdue, the Buckeyes were the #2 seed. The Buckeyes opened up the weekend with a 14-6 win over Indiana to set up a semifinal matchup with the Badgers of Wisconsin. In a high scoring affair, the Buckeyes emerged victorious with a 17-13 win to earn a spot in the Big Ten title game against Michigan State. In a back and forth game filled with physicality and high-level water polo, the Buckeyes ultimately fell 10-13 to finish second in their first year in the Big Ten. The Spartans went on to finish 5th at the Collegiate Club National Championships.

In the post season conference awards, the Buckeyes filled the list. Junior Drew Wilson was awarded MVP as well as first team all-Big Ten and was joined on first team with senior Alex Puthoff and junior Lance Bockbrader. The Buckeyes also earned a nomination on the second team, with junior goalie Alex Rabe nabbing the award.

Overall, it was a very successful year for the Buckeyes with a 2nd place finish in the Big Ten and a 20-7-1 record for the season.

Buckeyes finish 7th at 2018 National Collegiate Club Championship

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This past week, the Buckeyes traveled to Tucson, AZ to compete in the National Collegiate Club Championship after earning their bid via another Great Lakes division championship.

As the fifth seed, the Buckeyes opened up play against 12th-seeded Virginia Tech. Wanting to start off on the right foot, the Buckeyes jumped out to a 9-2 halftime lead and never looked back, with the final score being 17-5. Sophomore Drew Wilson led the scoring with 6 goals, senior Youssef Azzazy added 5 goals, sophomore Lance Bockbrader had a hat trick, and the junior trio of Robert DiSalle, Jake Good, and Alex Puthoff each contribute single goals. Senior Ryan Shepard had 8 saves and sophomore Alex Rabe had 3 saves in the win.

In the quarterfinals, the Buckeyes were matched up against an experienced Cal Golden Bears team. After keeping it close for the first few minutes, the experience and depth of Cal proved too much for the Buckeyes to handle, falling 3-15. Sophomore Lance Bockbrader led the way with 2 goals and senior Nick Hallett added one more. Shepard had 9 saves and Rabe had 1 save in the loss. This loss would send the Buckeyes to the 5th through 8th semifinal round.

The Buckeyes’ next opponent would be the Tritons of UC San Diego. A closely contested game led to a 4-4 halftime score. In the third quarter, the Buckeyes would jump out to a 7-5 lead but could not hold on, and fell 7-11 to the Tritons. Bockbrader again led the way with a hat trick, and Azzazy, DiSalle, Hallett, and Puthoff all added single goals. Shepard had 7 saves to anchor the defense in the contest. To end the tournament, the Buckeyes would be competing in the 7th place contest.

In what is becoming a yearly tradition for the Buckeyes, their final game of Nationals would be against their biggest rival, the University of Michigan. A back and forth game would end 9-9 after four quarters, sending the rivalry to overtime. Fatigue became a factor and neither team was able to score in the first two overtime periods, and then graduate student Drace Penley hit the game winner on the first possession of the third overtime period to end the game. Penley had 4 goals in the win, Alex Puthoff and junior Jake Good both chipped in two, and Wilson and Bockbrader each had one. Senior Ryan Shepard capped off his career with 15 saves to earn Player of the Game honors.

The 7th place finish marks the third top 10 finish for the Buckeyes, finishing fifth in 2014 and sixth in 2017.

CWPA Great Lakes Division Play Begins for the Buckeyes

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Over the weekend, the Buckeyes welcomed Dayton, Miami (OH), and Xavier into the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion for a weekend of Great Lakes division play. The first match up for the Buckeyes was against the Dayton Flyers. The Buckeyes jumped out to a fast start and never looked back, taking the victory 16-2. Next up was the Musketeers of Xavier; the Buckeyes’ strong defense earned them another win, this time by a score of 17-1. The last game of the day was supposed to be against the Miami (OH) Redhawks, but they decided to forfeit after falling to the Ohio State Gray team earlier in the day.

The Gray team had their strongest start to division play in recent history. Their first opponent was Xavier, who was able to keep it close, but the Buckeyes pulled away late to secure an 11-8 victory. The Buckeyes would next face Miami (OH), and they would again emerge victorious, winning 13-8. In their only game on Sunday, the Buckeyes came out flat against Dayton, falling 2-7.

This weekend, both Buckeye teams will head to University of Notre Dame for the second weekend of Great Lakes division play.

Buckeyes host Labor Day Tournament; Scarlet finishes undefeated, Gray goes 1-3

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Over the holiday weekend, the Buckeyes hosted the Labor Day Tournament to kick off the season. The tournament was comprised of two Ohio State teams, Indiana University, Purdue University, Michigan State University, Washington University in St. Louis, two masters teams in the Ohio Squirrels and Columbus Masters, and a high school team named Columbus Juniors.

The Scarlet team kicked off the tournament against Purdue University. With most of last year's starters returning this season, the Buckeyes came out aggressively and defeated the Boilermakers 15-5. Their second game of the day was against last year's Big Ten 3rd place finisher, Michigan State. It was a defensive battle that was tied 4-4 at halftime, but the Buckeyes would shut out the Spartans in the second half to win 8-4. The final game of the first day for the Scarlet team was against the reigning DIII collegiate club national champion, Washington University in St. Louis. The Buckeyes had to overcome a slow start, but would eventually record a 17-5 win. On Sunday, the Buckeyes were matched up with the 2017 Big Ten runner-up, the Hoosiers of Indiana University. The Buckeyes won 8-4 to finish the tournament undefeated.

The Gray team welcomed many new faces to the team in their first games of the season, where their chemistry improved each game. The Buckeyes started the tournament against the Columbus Masters, comprised of many former Buckeyes, and were defeated 1-15. Next up was the Indiana Hoosiers and the Buckeyes were unable to keep pace, falling 5-12. On early Sunday morning, the Buckeyes got their first win of the season, defeating Purdue 9-5. To end the tournament, the Buckeyes matched up with Columbus Juniors. After falling behind early, the Buckeyes couldn't close the gap and fell 8-12.

Next up for both Buckeye squads is the beginning of the CWPA Great Lakes division play. The Buckeyes will host Dayton, Xavier, and Miami (OH) for 10 games on the weekend of September 29.

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Buckeyes Win Three, Lose One at UNC Spring Invitational

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The Buckeyes traveled to Chapel Hill, NC to compete in the UNC Easter Invitational to cap off the 2017-18 school year. Their first game was again NOVA Masters of Washington, DC. In a very defensive game, the Buckeyes fell 3-5. 

The rest of their opponents were all college teams and the Buckeyes were victorious against all of them. First, the Buckeyes were able to cage the Nittany Lions of Penn State, winning 8-4. Then the Buckeyes cruised against the host Tar Heels, winning 13-6. On the final day of the tournament, the Buckeyes faced off with Army, narrowly winning 6-5.

The Buckeyes finish the year with a 21-6 record.

Buckeyes Travel to Notre Dame for CWPA Action

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COLUMBUS - The Buckeyes will travel to Notre Dame for the second CWPA Great Lakes division tournament on September 23rd and 24th. Between the two teams, the Buckeyes will play in six games over the two days.

The Scarlet Buckeyes will start the tournament against the Cincinnati Bearcats at 12:00 p.m., followed by No. 20 Notre Dame at 3:00 p.m., and will face Illinois State at 6:00 p.m. to conclude the weekend. Due to Xavier forfeiting the weekend, Ohio State's final game will be recorded as a 5-0 victory. The Buckeyes are currently tied with Cincinnati and Notre Dame for first place in the division.

The Gray Buckeyes will match up with Miami (OH) at 1:00p.m. on Saturday Sept. 23, No. 8 Grand Valley at 4:00 p.m., and Dayton at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday Sept. 24 to conclude the weekend. Due to Xavier forfeiting the weekend, Ohio State's final game will be recorded as a 5-0 victory.

Teams will be seeded at the 2017 CWPA Great Lakes Division Championship based on their performance in both Great Lakes division tournaments. The championship will be held at Ohio State in the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion on October 21-22.

Ohio State Hosts Great Lakes Division Tournament this Weekend

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Buckeyes open 2017 division play against Dayton at 11:00 a.m. at McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion.

COLUMBUS – Ohio State opens the 2017 CWPA season this weekend at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. The Buckeyes will open with Dayton at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16 and will face Miami (OH) at 3:00 p.m. The Buckeyes will conclude with No. 9 Grand Valley at 12:00 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 17 and a scrimmage with OSU-Gray at 3:00 p.m.

The Gray team Buckeyes will play Cincinnati at 12:00 p.m., No. 20 Notre Dame at 4:00 p.m., and Illinois State at 9:00 p.m. on Saturday. Ohio State will conclude the weekend with a scrimmage against OSU-Scarlet at 3:00 p.m.

Games will be running from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Saturday and 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free.

The football team has a home game versus Army at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. Please take that into consideration when traveling to campus.

Buckeyes Struggle During Their Championship Weekend

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The Buckeyes have recently returned from a weekend at the University of Notre Dame, where the 2016 Great Lakes division championship was being hosted. Over the weekend, the Scarlet team finished second and the Gray team finished seventh.

To start the weekend, Scarlet met Gray in a first round matchup. A fun, intense game for all led to a 14-7 Scarlet victory and a spot in the semi-finals for Scarlet while Gray would battle for fifth through seventh. The next game for the Buckeyes would see the Gray team facing Miami (OH). After a close game earlier in the season, the Gray Buckeyes were eager to see what they could do. They were able to keep it close in the beginning but couldn't handle the intensity of the experience RedHawks in the latter part of the game, and the Buckeyes fell 8-15.

In the semi-final game, the Scarlet team would face in-state rival University of Cincinnati. Playing under a new coach, the Bearcats were fired up and came out strong, leading during part of the first quarter. The Buckeyes would overcome their slow start and run away with it, winning 12-4 and securing a spot in the Great Lakes division championship game on Sunday.

The Buckeyes battled the Lakers of Grand Valley State University for the championship. Unable to get the offense going, the Buckeyes fell into a 1-5 deficit at halftime. The Buckeyes were unable to claw their way back, eventually falling 4-9 and finishing second in the division.

To end the weekend, the Gray team faced Illinois State. Trading goals to start the game gave the Buckeyes an early lead, but they couldn't keep up with the Redbirds' counter attack. The Buckeyes would fall 7-14 and finish seventh.

The Scarlet team finishes the season 12-3 (9-2 CWPA) and the Gray team finishes 4-11 (4-7 CWPA).

Spring Semester Recap

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The 2016 spring semester brought much success for the Buckeyes. They traveled all over the eastern United States and the Scarlet team went 14-2 for the semester.

To start the semester, the Buckeyes traveled to Chicago to compete in Northwestern University's Winter Classic Invitational. The first opponent was the Hawkeyes of the University of Iowa and the Buckeyes defeated the Big Ten foe, 18-10. Next up was two Great Lakes conference opponents and both games ended in victory for the Buckeyes, 12-2 versus Loyola University Chicago and 18-6 versus University of Chicago. Ohio State continued their spring success with a 12-9 win over the Beached Whales.

After their trip to the Windy City, the Buckeyes headed south for the winter to Auburn University. In the opening game of the Chris Young Memorial tournament, Ohio State dismantled Bluff City Water Polo, 14-4. The last game of group play matched the Buckeyes against Emory University, where the Buckeyes won the game, and the group, by a score of 16-1. Sunday morning started with a semifinal matchup against our in-state adversary, University of Cincinnati. Determined to make it back to the championship game for the second straight year, the Buckeyes took down the Bearcats, 10-5. The Buckeyes went on to capture the championship, winning 9-4 against Windy City.

After spring break, the Buckeyes couldn't get enough of the warm weather and headed to the University of North Carolina for the Easter Invitational. The first day of the tournament saw the Buckeyes add three more wins to their season, beating Clemson University (16-7), Virginia Tech (15-4), and former goalie Troy Karski with Charlotte Masters (10-9). An early start to the second day saw the Buckeyes slip up for the first time in the spring, falling 6-12 to NoVa.

The last tournament of the year was at home and it was a special one. Together with a girls team, the Buckeyes hosted the Katie Johanni Memorial tournament, in honor of the women's team's goalie Katie Johanni who passed away in the fall. The teams fundraised over $10,000 to donate to the SUDEP Foundation to fund their research. The men started the tournament with a trio of games against Ohio opponents. First up was the Dayton Flyers, where the Buckeyes won 11-4. Then the Buckeyes faced Columbus Masters and Columbus Youth, beating the old guys, 15-7, and the kids, 14-8. These victories put Ohio State in the championship game against Division II varsity program, Gannon University. A close, physical game ended tied at 6, and the Buckeyes were defeated 3-4 in a shootout. The Grey team also competed and beat conference foe Illinois State (7-6), but fell to Gannon (2-14), club national champion Lindenwood (6-16), and Columbus Water Polo (4-14).

The Buckeyes finished 30-4 on the year, and will look to continue the standard of success of Ohio State water polo next year.

Go Bucks!

Buckeyes Abound in All-Conference Awards

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Four Buckeyes were honored with All-Conference Awards for the 2013 season, more than any other team, and head coach James Dauphinee also earned Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year.

Ben McClurg and Orion Swanson both earned First Team All-Great Lakes Division, while Jon Gruseck and Michael Smith earned Second Team.

The Buckeyes won the Great Lakes division for the first time in 2013, finishing 7-1 in division play and earning a bid to the Collegiate Club National Championship at the University of California - San Diego where they finished 11th in the nation.

Official release can be found here.

7 Buckeyes named to CWPA Scholar-Athlete Team; 4th Highest Team GPA in the nation

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Seven Buckeyes were named to the 2013 Collegiate Water Polo Association's Scholar-Athlete team, and our team had the fourth highest GPA in the nation!

Matt D'Errico, Ben McClurg, Clancy Short, Michael Smith, and Orion Swanson were honored with Outstanding (3.71 - 4.0) recognition, Connor Aossey was honored with Superior (3.41-3.70) recognition, and Brian Muff was honored with Excellent (3.20-3.40) recognition.

The Buckeyes had an average GPA of 3.71, which earned them the fourth best spot in the nation! Congrats Buckeyes!

Read more here.