Panthers returning to WWPA Championships

ORANGE, Calif. - After a 16-year absence, the Chapman University men's water polo team will return to the Western Water Polo Association postseason championships, to be hosted by Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges beginning on Friday. The Panthers, who last played in the WWPA championships in 1992, have been seeded No. 9 and will face No. 8-seed Pomona-Pitzer on Friday at 9:45 a.m. in the first round.

Chapman (14-13) enters the postseason ranked No. 8 in Division III coaches' poll. The Panthers are led by junior utility Alex Mulé who leads the nation in scoring average with 3.32 goals per game this season. Mulé, who is also Chapman's career leader in goals, also ranks No. 5 in the nation with 73 goals. Defensively, the Panthers' junior goalie Colin Gasper currently ranks No. 2 in the nation in saves per game with 11.41 and seventh with 234 total saves.

The Panthers and Pomona-Pitzer have faced each other twice this season, once each in their home pool. The Sagehens defeated Chapman each time, most recently 7-4 in Claremont last month. Pomona-Pitzer ranks last in the country in scoring, averaging just 6.13 goals per game, however, it's been able to keep Chapman's offense to just 11 goals total in the two games this year.

A victory over the Sagehens would earn Chapman a date with top-seeded Loyola Marymount at 4:45 p.m. on Friday. Any victory in the tournament would set a new school record for wins in a season for Chapman. The Panthers defeated Cal Poly San Luis Obispo 9-8 in the last tournament opener in 1992, but finished the tournament 1-3 overall.