Trio selected to All-America team

ORANGE, Calif. – A trio of men's water polo players were named to the 2017 Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches Men's Division III All-America Team on Tuesday afternoon. Senior Jeff O'Brien headlined the selections with a spot on the First Team, while junior Kevin Dayan and sophomore Wesley Hertel received Honorable Mentions.

O'Brien left his name in the Chapman record books in his final year. The center took 517 shots in his career, scoring 218 goals and ranking third overall in school history in both categories. O'Brien's 76 goals in the 2017 season, 45 of which were scored against SCIAC teams, ranked him second in the conference and first on the Panthers. The Newport Beach, Calif. native was just three goals shy from tying for the fifth-highest single season total in Chapman history. He also led Chapman with 115 earned exclusions in his senior campaign. This is not the first time the senior has been selected to the ACWPC All-America Team. O'Brien was named to the Second Team in 2016 in his junior season with the Panthers.

O'Brien and Dayan finished the season tied with 96 points, leading the Panthers and ranking second in the SCIAC. Both players averaged over two goals per game, helping Chapman achieve this feat for only the second time since the 1999 season.

Dayan recorded a breakout season in his first year as a Panthers, tallying 59 goals, 27 of which came against SCIAC teams. He finished his junior year ranked second on the team and fourth in the conference in goals scored. The Sao Paulo, Brazil native also ranked first in the conference with 62 steals and third in the SCIAC with 37 assists.

Hertel also completed his first season as a Panther. The goalie led the SCIAC with 246 saves, 137 of those coming against conference teams. The sophomore tallied nearly 794 minutes in his debut season, recording a save percentage of .486 and a 10.76 goals-against average. The Houston, Texas native started in 23 of the 26 games he appeared in this season.

"Since 2005, the mission of the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) is to promote the development and advancement of collegiate water polo. This shall be accomplished by providing its membership with professional education, services, training and a united voice."

by Katie Bell
Sports Information Assistant

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