Bears Set to Break New Ground in 2007

Aug. 29, 2007

Providence, RI - The Brown men's water polo team will have a new face at poolside this season in the person of Head Coach Felix Mercado. However, that's about all that will be brand new for the Bears this season. Eighty percent of the team's scoring returns, including six players who scored 29 or more goals in 2006. If Coach Mercado, last season's CWPA Northern Division and Division III Coach of the Year, and the Bears are able to get on the same page quickly, expect Bruno to make a run at improving last year's fifth-place finish at the Eastern Championship and 18-10 overall record.

At the center of the offense will be junior two-meter forward Mike Gartner (San Jose, CA), an Honorable Mention ACWPC All-American last season. Despite missing the first half of the Bears' season with a wrist injury, Gartner finished fourth on the team with 41 goals, with his 2.4 goals-per-game average tops on the squad. He also led the team with 48 ejections drawn in just 17 games, and his .547 shot percentage was second on the squad. In games against CWPA Northern Division foes, Gartner scored on a team-high 65 percent of his shots, tying for the team lead with 17 goals. He and senior co-captain Gerrit Adams (Winnetka, IL) both earned first team All-North and second team All-East honors.

Junior Grant LeBeau (San Diego, CA) returns after leading the Bears in goals. Gartner's primary fill-in at two-meters early in the season, LeBeau finished the season with 68 markers, also placing second on the squad with 40 assists. Fellow junior Hank Weintraub (Los Angeles, CA) led the Bears in assists with 52, shot percentage at .573, and steals with 41. He also finished third on the team with 47 goals. Weintraub picked it up during conference play, leading the Bears with 20 assists, 11 more than any other player.

The Bears' rock on the other end of the pool will be Adams, one of the top two-meter defenders in the East. Adams was second on the Bears with 32 steals last season, also drawing 42 ejections. Against conference opponents, Adams had a team-high 15 steals and four field blocks, despite opposing teams' efforts to run their offense away from him. Not just a one-way player, Adams finished second on the team with 53 goals, and tied for the team lead with 17 conference goals. Adams was also at his best in important games, scoring 10 goals in the Northern Division and Eastern Championships. Freshman Gordon Hood (Carlsbad, CA) will serve as his understudy at the two-meter defense position. Hood will also help on the offensive end of the pool with his perimeter shooting and counter-attack speed.

Behind Adams will be sophomore goalkeeper Kent Holland (Orinda, CA). Holland posted an 8.65 goals-against average in his rookie season, stopping 52 percent of shots he faced. He played all but 27 minutes of Brown's season, posting a 19-11 record.

Looking to build on promising seasons in 2006 will be sophomore Zach Levko (Wildwood, MO) and junior Nico Fort (Miami, FL). Levko scored 33 goals in his freshman campaign. Also a member of Brown's swim team, Levko is the Bears' top returning option to take quarter-opening sprints. Fort scored 29 goals on the season after tallying just eight in his rookie season. He was at his best in conference play, finishing third on the team with 14 markers against Northern Division teams. He scored six goals at the Northern Division Championship as well. Senior co-captain Alex Robb (Winnetka, IL) and junior Jerry Wolf Duff-Sellers (Malibu, CA) will provide strong play off the bench.

Bruno's other three freshmen, drivers Corey Schwartz (Los Angeles, CA), Kevin White (Davis, CA), and Brandon Yoshimura (Haverford, PA), can all expect to see some time right away as well. Schwartz played for two top club teams, the Harvard Water Polo Foundation and Los Angeles Water Polo Club, and faced some of the top teams in the country. White is the first lefty the Bears have had on the team in at least three years, and will help balance out the offensive attack. Yoshimura, who holds many of the Haverford School's swimming records in addition to nearly all of its water polo records, will bring a large boost to the team's speed.