Brian Barron

BRIDGEPORT, Pa. -- Southern Division Champion and Runner-up Bucknell University and Mercyhurst University combined for seven of 14 selections as the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) announces the 2012 Southern Division All-Conference Team.

The Bison and Lakers, who combined for two of the three major awards in the division with Bucknell's Brian Barron (Sr., Oak Park, Ill./Fenwick) garnering Player of the Year honors and Mercyhurst's Curtis Robinette taking the first Coach of Year accolade of his career, posted three First Team and four Second Team laurels.

Led by 2011 and 2012 First Team recipients Barron and Bison goalie goalie Matt Napleton (Sr., Oak Park, Ill./Fenwick), four of the Players on the First Team previously received All-Conference recognition. 2011 Second Team selection Brett Luehmann (Jr., Ancaster, Ontario/Ancaster) of Mercyhurst, 2011 CWPA Eastern Championship Most Valuable Player and 2011 Second Team honoree Drew Hoffenberg (So., Rancho Santa Fe, Calif./The Bishop's School) of Princeton University and 2010 Second Team pick Ross Schofield (Sr., Greenwich, Conn/Greenwich) of Johns Hopkins University complete the the previous All-Conference First Team picks, while 2012 Southern Division Rookie of the Year Bogdan Petkovic (Fr., Belgrade, Serbia/Sports High School) and the United States Naval Academ's Jesse Walker (Sr., Seattle, Wash./Seattle Academy) both garner their inaugural All-Southern Division selections.

The Second Team is dominated for three Mercyhurst selections as Issac Ogloblin (Jr., Madrid, Spain/I.E.S. Cervantes), Garret Schoeman (Jr., Riverside, Calif./Arlington) and goalie Matt Cote (Jr., Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge) lead the seven-man roster. Joining the trio is 2011 Second Team selections Jack Else (Jr., Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) of Bucknell and Vanja Kopilas (Jr., Dubrovnik, Croatia/Queens College) of Notre Dame College, Tim Wenzlau (Sr., Palo Alto, Calif./Palo Alto) of Princeton and Daisuke Takagi (Jr., Tsukuba, Japan/Namiki) of Gannon University.

Per Collegiate Water Polo Association rules, the All-Southern Division team is voted on by the division's 11 head coaches based on nominations each team.  Votes are tabulated by the league office.