St. Francis Water Polo Tops Princeton 11-9 For 2013 CWPA Title and 2nd Straight NCAA Berth

Providence, R.I. For the first time in program history, the St. Francis Brooklyn men’s water polo team has qualified for back-to back NCAA Men’s Water Polo tournaments. On Sunday at Brown’s Moran Coleman Aquatics Center, the Terriers captured their second consecutive Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) title with a hard-fought 11-9 victory over Princeton. Tournament MVP Igor Mladenovic of St. Francis led a strong defensive effort by stopping eight Princeton shots, while CWPA Championship newcomers Lazar Komadinic —selected the tournament’s top rookie — and Ilija Djuretic each contributed three goals in the Terriers historic win.

St. Francis now awaits the identity of it’s opponent for an NCAA play-in game on Thursday, December 5, at Stanford University. The Terriers will most likely face UC San Diego, the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) champion, for a berth in the 2013 NCAA Championship Final Four.

St. Francis Head Coach Srdjan Mihaljevic, soaking wet after a customary victory leap in the pool, was elated by his team’s effort against a strong Tiger squad. “My hat goes out to Princeton, they had a really quality team,” said Mihaljevic, who was selected the Dick Russell Coach of the Tournament. “We had our hands full but came out on top. The guys are happy, I’m happy, we’re going to California.”

“I thought both teams played really well,” said Princeton Head Coach Luis Nicolao, whose squad could never grab a lead on St. Francis . “Every time we made a mistake, they capitalized on it. We got to 9-9 [halfway through the fourth period] and had a chance to take some shots. We didn’t make them, they did and they won the game.”

The 2013 CWPA title — and the NCAA tournament berth that goes with it — are especially sweet for goalie Mladenovic, playing at the CWPA Championship for the last time in his stellar St. Francis career. “I don’t know how to describe this really, it’s something amazing” said the senior, who has now backstopped the Terriers to three CWPA titles in the past four years. “We want to achieve something big in California. We want to go there and show them that we deserve the Final Four.”

Mladenovic’s play in the Terrier nets distinguishes him as one of the program’s all-time greats. According to St. Francis Assistant Athletic Director Carl Quigley, who coached the Terriers from 1975 until 2009, “Igor [is] as good as it gets. He’s a three-time All-American, he’s already been to two Final Fours, and he potentially can go to a third.”

On hand for the Terrier’s win was former co-captain Marko Gencic, part of a large and loud contingent of St. Francis fans who made the trek from Brooklyn to Providence. Gencic, who graduated last spring holding every significant program scoring record, commented that “it’s really tough to be on the other side of the pool.” Adding that “you want to jump in and help the guys,” Gencic did just that, taking a celebratory plunge after the match with his one-time Terrier teammates.

It was the first meeting of the year between St. Francis and Princeton, two programs that have enjoyed a virtual stranglehold over the CWPA of late. This year’s championship marked the fifth straight title that either the Tigers (2009, 2011) or Terriers (2010, 2012 and now 2013) have captured.

Despite their respective programs’ recent success, Sunday’s contest marked only the second time the Tigers and Terriers have played each other with a league title at stake. In 2004, when their only previous CWPA title match occurred, Princeton knocked off St. Francis 3-2 in sudden death overtime.

The year’s win is St. Francis’ fourth CWPA Championship, as the Terriers also captured the title in 2005 to go along with the 2010 and 2012 crowns.

For Ilija Djuretic, the excitement of qualifying for his first NCAA tournament was palpable.

“This is awesome, trust me," said the Terrier freshman from Belgrade, Serbia. "This is my first championship final here in America [and] I am so, so happy.”