First Round Match Set for 4pm – Watch Live on NCAA.com

Who: St. Francis College Men’s Water Polo Team, Serbian National Team Coach
What: Preparations for NCAA Final Four
Where: Berkeley, California
Watch: Live on NCAA.com

After a rally and visit from a World Champion Water Polo coach, the St. Francis College Men’s Water Polo team is off to Berkeley, California for its semi-final match Saturday, December 4 at 4:00pm (EST) against the defending champion, the University of Southern California. The game is viewable on ncaa.com.

Hundreds of students came out to support the Terriers and congratulate them on their Eastern Championship victory over Navy to gain a berth in the Final Four. Assistant Athletic Director and former team Coach Carl Quigley told the audience about the time almost 20 years ago when his Athletic Director asked him for the final schedule for the team. He said he put down the NCAA Final Four.

“It was a dream it was meant to motivate,” said Quigley. “Who would have thought? These guys believed.”

Now 20 years later, St. Francis is going to the Final Four for the second time.

St. Francis President Brendan J. Dugan, Coach Igor Samardzija and team co-Captain Stefen Gencic ’11 also spoke at the rally.

In addition, the team received a visit from Serbian National Team Coach and Olympic Bronze Medal Winner Dejan Udovicic. Several of the members of the Terrier squad are from Serbia, including goalie Nikola Djuric ‘11, who earned first team all tournament at Easterns and Alexandar Pantic ‘12, another starter for the team. Udovicic coached both of them when them were younger.

The St. Francis Men’s team is also composed of players from the United States, Hungary, Croatia and Sweden. Besides coming together to form one of the best teams in the country, this melting pot of players also boasts the highest G.P.A. of all Water Polo teams two years in a row.

St. Francis College, founded in 1859 by the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn, is located in Brooklyn Heights, N.Y. Since its founding, the College has pursued its Franciscan mission to provide an affordable, high-quality education to students from New York City’s five boroughs and beyond.
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St. Francis College, 180 Remsen Street, Brooklyn Heights, NY 11201
www.sfc.edu