Men's Water Polo Lands Four All-MAWPC Honors
11/22/2019 9:00:00 AM | Water Polo
Atakan Destici, Andrew Mavis, Matt Taylor and Andras Levai were recognized Friday
BRIDGEPORT, Pa.- Four George Washington men's water polo student-athletes landed All-Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference honors Friday morning as the Colonials prepare to chase a third straight league title.
Atakan Destici and Andrew Mavis led the way on the All-Conference First Team, while Matt Taylor and Andras Levai were selected to the Second Team.Â
GW's four All-MAWPC selections were the most in the league and also matched the program high set in 2016.
Destici becomes a four-time All-MAWPC selection in recognition of his continued excellence leading the Buff and Blue attack.Â
With one final postseason push remaining, the senior from Turkey is the program's all-time leader in assists (231) and also ranks among the top five in goals (255), points (486), steals (214) and field blocks (53).
Despite missing time due to injury, Destici has posted 67 points this fall via 30 goals and 37 helpers. He closed the regular season in style, notching a career-high nine goals in a win over Wagner at Smith Center Pool on Nov. 9 before posting three goals and four assists a day later in an 11-10 victory at then-No. 14 Bucknell.
Mavis earned All-MAWPC honors for the third straight season thanks to his 72 goals and 66 ejections drawn over 28 games. The Princeton, N.J., native continues to be a force in the middle, converting 49.3 percent of his attempts thus far. He also closed the regular season strong with four straight multi-goal efforts, highlighted by a pair of seven-goal performances to equal his career high.
Entering the MAWPC Championship, Mavis' place in program history is secure: He ranks third in GW history with 275 goals, and his 255 ejections drawn are a program best.
Taylor has been excellent between the pipes, shouldering a heavy workload as the only goalkeeper on the roster.Â
The graduate student from New Zealand has stopped 331 of the 618 shots he's faced this season (.524 save pct.) to break Steve Nadherny's single-season saves record that had stood since 1992. He's averaged 11.8 saves per game to anchor a defense that's ceding 10.3 goals per contest.
It's the second All-MAWPC honor for Taylor, who was named to the First Team as a first-year in 2016.
A junior from Hungary, Levai picked up his first All-Conference nod after leading the Colonials in goals (81) and assists (61) during the regular season. His 142 points are already fourth-most in program history for a single season.
Levai has also done his part defensively, piling up 32 steals and eight field blocks.
Ranked No. 18 nationally, GW (20-8) opens play at the MAWPC Championship on Friday night vs. Johns Hopkins. The Colonials will need three wins in as many days at Bucknell's Kinney Natatorium to secure a third straight conference crown and NCAA berth.
