Men's Water Polo: Freshmen lead team in and out of water

On just achievements and outstanding awards alone, copious pages could be written on the freshman class of the men’s water polo team. The number of goals, assists, steals and blocks, the nomination and attainment of captaincy, most valuable players and All-Americas, the recognition of National Merit Scholars, valedictorians and academic standouts ... And that’s far from it all. The contributions that Sam Butler, Drew Hoffenberg, Thomas Nelson, Kayj Shannon, Matt Weber and Kevin Zhang bring to the pool and to the classroom don’t just end there.

“I would say that their attitudes [are] amazing,” head coach Luis Nicolao said. “They all get along so well. Not only have they played well, but they have been so positive in and out of the water.”

Aside from their outstanding personalities, each of them has brought his talents to Princeton. Shannon earned his first collegiate recognition in mid-September when he was named the Southern Player and Rookie of the Week for putting up 12 goals, three steals and two drawn ejections in the first weekend of play. A week later, Weber received the same award for an efficient five goals in three games.

Meanwhile, the rest of the freshmen have found their respective roles on the team. Before this weekend’s trip to Southern California, Hoffenberg was second on the team in goals scored and third in ejections drawn, while Butler, Nelson and Zhang have provided a valuable presence off the bench. As a whole, the team has raved about their abilities and their potential.

“Shannon and Weber play really well on center, while Nelson and Butler are very good at defending and fast breaks,” junior center Jack Ruth said. “Hoffenberg sets up a lot of players and sees the pool really well, and Zhang is the master of penalty shots.”

With such a group of goofy and outgoing guys, it didn’t take long before the jokes started coming out. The team arrived in early August to transition from the high school 25-yard pool to the college 30-meter length and therefore had a longer period of time to bond than most other teams on campus. After just two months of camaraderie, the group’s connection is undeniable, evident by their endless laughter and inside jokes.

Hoffenberg and Shannon, the sole members of the group from Southern California, commonly known as “SoCal,” seem to have bonded over their regional similarities. When asked what their favorite ice cream flavor was, the appropriate answers seemed to be “West Coast Best Coast,” and “San Diego.” The pair is rarely seen separated, often accompanied by Shannon’s long board.

Though they look alike, Butler is not to be confused with his taller, brunette counterpart Weber. Although Butler and Weber may not share the same “romance” as Hoffenberg and Shannon, their names, seemingly different, have been a source of confusion to the coaches.

During the exciting home opener against Santa Clara, ESPNU broadcast the game across the nation. The game itself was no doubt an exciting moment for the entire team, including the freshmen, but for Zhang and Butler, it was truly special to see their fans support them with signs that said “Kiss my Butler!” and “Let me Zhang you, gurl!”

Another unforgettable moment in the “favorite/epic Princeton moments” album was singing “I Want It That Way,” by the Backstreet Boys to the field hockey team while wearing Speedos. No doubt these boys enjoyed every minute of it; some even characterized it as their “welcome to Princeton” moment.

Since most water polo players swam in high school, I asked if they were confident enough to swim a dual meet against the women’s swim team. They all echoed that they would probably dominate the sprints, but the longer distances would be another story. Nelson, also known as Nelly, because of his passion for rap, would probably give them the best chance at winning the 500m freestyle.

Although it is statistically clear how many goals, steals and assists these freshmen bring to the team, it is impossible to measure their emotion and psychological contributions.

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It will be very exciting to see their development as the Tigers move deeper into their season. They will be hard to miss this Saturday at DeNunzio Pool, where Princeton is set to play Bucknell at 2 p.m.