Dec. 14, 2010

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - The 2010 LMU men's water polo program finished the season with a 9-7 win over St. Francis in the National Collegiate Men's Water Polo Championship, placing them third nationally and giving them a 20-9 record on the year. It is the program's fourth 20-plus win season and pushes them to a final national ranking of No. 7 in the final AWPCA Coaches' Poll.

It was a record setting season for the Lions, who were led by five seniors that played nearly every game in their four-year careers, making them the most success men's class in LMU athletics' history. Ikaika Aki, Tibor Forai, Derek Milligan, Andy Stevens and Dan Smith became the first group on a men's program at LMU to win a conference championship all four years of their playing careers. The group combined to play 545 games in their career, winning titles in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010.

Water polo became the first men's program at LMU to win four straight titles and to earn four straight trips to the NCAA Men's Water Polo Championships. They have now won eighth Western Water Polo Association championships in the last 10 years.

In addition, the group added more honors to their resume. Forai and Stevens were named first-team 2010 NCAA All Tournament Team, while Aki was named second-team.

With the number of games accumulated by the Lions' roster in 2010, they climbed their way into the top of the LMU record book.

Forai finishes his career ranked tie for fourth with Charlie Wallace (1990-93) with 193 goals in his career. He also ranked eighth in assits with 79, tied for 16th in games played with 105 and 10th with 100 steals. As for Stevens, he finishes his career with a program record 1,232 saves, making 305 saves on the season, including a program-equaling 21 saves against St. Francis in his final game as a Lion. He also ranked 10th in games played at 116 and 15th with 83 saves.

Aki finishes his career tied for eighth with 116 games played and is the first Lion to finish a career at the century mark in goals, assists, steals and field blocks. He finished ranked 19th with 105 goals, second with 109 assists, first with 176 steals and first with 119 field blocks.

As for Milligan and Smith, they finish their career 20th and 22nd, respectively, with 104 and 102 games played. Milligan also notched 118 steals in his career to finish eighth.

NCAA All-Tournament Team

MVP - Peter Kurzeka, USC

First-Team
Ivan Rackov, Cal
Zach White, Cal
Tibor Forai, LMU
Nikola Vavic, USC
Andy Stevens, LMU
Brian Dudley, Cal

Second-Team
Boris Plavsic, SFC
Ikaika Aki, LMU
Marko Gencic, SFC
Jeremy Davie, USC
Joel Dennerley, USC
Matthew Burton, USC
Cory Nasoff, Cal