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Stevens Claims Player of the Year Honors, Again
Nov. 18, 2009
Los Angeles, CA (Nov. 18, 2009) - For the second consecutive season LMU goalie Andy Stevens has been named the Western Water Polo Association Men's Player of Year as voted on by the league's 13 coaches. It is the fifth time a Lion has been chosen WWPA Player of the Year, the second time the Lions have had back-to-back winners and the first time a player has earned it twice in his career. In addition to the Player of the Year honor for Stevens, he also earned first-team All-WWPA honors for the second consecutive year. Joining him on the first team is junior Ikaika Andrew Aki. Second-team All-WWPA honors went to sophomore Edgaras Asajavicius and junior Tibor Forai. Stevens led the Lions to a national ranking as high as No. 5 and was key in leading the Lions to a number three ranking nationally in team defense, allowing just 6.13 goals per game. He played in all 23 games for Lions, helping them to the No. 1 seed in the upcoming WWPA Men's Water Polo Championship hosted by Chapman on Friday, Nov. 20 - Sunday, Nov. 22. Stevens had 13 games with 10 or more saves, reaching his career-best with 21 in a game twice. He enters the WWPA tournament with 259 saves and a goals against average of 6.31. In his career, his GAA is at 7.140 while making 865 saves in his three seasons. Aki had a break-out season, setting career-highs in every stats category. He is second on the team with 32 goals and leads the team in assists with 22, steals with 63 and field blocks with 42, which is a program record. Asajavicius leads the Lions in scoring with 40 goals and is second in assists with 16, while Forai, who missed six games this season, has 29 goals and 13 assists.
The Lions will open the WWPA tournament with Chapman on Friday at 1:30 p.m. 2009 Western Water Polo Association Men's Water Polo Honors First-Team All-WWPA Second-Team All-WWPA Honorable Mention All-WWPA WWPA All-Freshman Team Follow the championships online at www.WesternWaterPolo.org. |
