The 2024-25 season is underway in Europe! The U.S. Men’s National Team has nine representatives competing overseas to continue building on the Bronze Medal performance at the 2024 Olympic Games this summer in Paris.

Team captain Ben Hallock returns to Italian powerhouse Recco Waterpolo for a fifth season while Max Irving and Marko Vavic also stay put in Italy with Brescia and Savona, respectfully. Luca Cupido moves within Italy, from Ortigia to Camogli, and goalkeeper Drew Holland comes over from a stint in Greece to play with TeliMar. Tyler Abramson joins forces with Bologna De Akker after a season in Germany.

Elsewhere in Europe, Dylan Woodhead is back to cap up with Vouliagmeni in Greece while Adrian Weinberg, Top Goalkeeper at the Olympics, transitions to professional water polo with Chios after three-straight NCAA Championships at UC Berkeley. Alex Bowen rounds out the list of American men competing abroad as he moves from France to Spain with Sabadell.

 

European Club Results

 

LEN Champions League, Qualification Round

Group B (Kragujevac)

Final rankings:

1. Radnicki Kragujevac (SRB) 9

2. BVSC-Zuglo (HUN) 6

3. Mladost Zagreb (CRO) 3

4. Vouliagmeni (GRE) 0

Dylan Woodhead and Vouliagmeni were overwhelmed by Mladost in Group B. Mladost stormed to a 6-2 lead by halftime and never looked back – finishing with an 11-6 win.

The next day, Vouliagmeni jumped to a 4-1 lead early on but Radnicki responded with a 7-1 run to lead 8-5 at halftime and added two more early in the third quarter. Up 10-5, Radnicki seemed to have it, but the Greeks had other ideas. Vouliagmeni staged a 4-0 surge to get back in the game. In the final frame, Radnicki quickly expanded the gap to three goals, but with 1:32 on the clock, Vouliagmeni came back to within one (14-13) but could not force a shootout in the remaining time.

BVSC knocked out Vouliagmeni with ease, 17-9. After having lost their chance to advance with the narrow loss to Radnicki on Saturday, the Greek side seemed to have little motivation in its third match.

 

Group C (Oradea)

Final rankings: 

1. CSM Oradea (ROU) 11

2. Spandau 04 (GER) 9

3. AN Brescia (ITA) 7

4. PAOK Saloniki (GRE) 3

5. ENKA Istanbul (TUR) 0

Max Irving and Brescia dominated PAOK Saloniki in Oradea. The Italians went up 7-1 in the first half and cruised to a 15-4 victory.

Spandau stunned Brescia in the next round, as a 3-0 run by the Germans in the second period was the key. Though the Italians climbed back to 6-7, Spandau responded in the critical moments and got a big 9-7 win.

Brescia needed a three-goal win to advance and the Italians started strong, going up 2-0 on Oradea early. The Romanians woke up in time to level the score at 2-2 in the opening period. In the second half, Oradea went ahead and even though Brescia equalized from time to time, they could not retake the lead. All the Romanians needed was a draw in regular time, which they achieved with the match tied 7-7 after regulation. They could have lost the shootout but managed two points when a save in the 8th round won them the match.

 

Group D (Sabadell)

Final rankings: 

1. Sabadell (ESP) 9

2. VK Sabac (SRB) 6

3. Ortigia 1928 (ITA) 3

4. Pays d’Aix Natation (FRA) 0

Alex Bowen and Sabadell blew away France’s Pays d’Aix in a lopsided match. The Spanish squad stormed out to a 10-0 lead and won 17-5 by the end.

Sabadell hammered Sabac 14-9 to set the stage for its return to the Group Stage. Fueled by attacker Alex Bowen, who scored five times, the Spaniards hit four in a row in the third period to make it 12-7 and never looked back.

Sabadell left no doubt that they were the best team in this group with a last day win over Ortigia. Sabadell’s offense was led by Alex Bowen and Montenegrin leftie Kanstantin Averka, who netted nine goals combined, as the host side cruised to a 17-11 win. The victory ensures Sabadell is moving onto the LEN Champions League Group Stage, joining Marko Vavic and Savona in Group D.

Copa Catalunya

Semifinal | Sabadell – Barcelona, 13-10

Final | Sabadell – Barceloneta, 7-12

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— CN Sabadell (@CN_Sabadell) September 22, 2024

Alex Bowen and Sabadell took home second place at Copa Catalunya after beating Barcelona in the semifinal and losing to Barceloneta in the final.

Upcoming Matches

Euro Cup Men, Qualification Round (September 26-29)

Group A – Sabac

VK Sabac (SRB), CS Dinamo Bucuresti (ROU), Team Strasbourg (FRA), OSC Potsdam (GER), OSC Budapest (HUN)

Group B – Budva

Brescia (ITA), VK Banja Luka (BIH), Endo Plus Service Honved (HUN), VK Valis Vega (SRB), Budvanska Rivijera (MNE)

Group C – Barcelona

CN Barcelona (ESP), Vouliagmeni (GRE), VK Solaris (CRO), Iren Genova Quinto (ITA)

Group D – Zagreb

HAVK Mladost (CRO), Enka Istanbul (TUR), GS Apollon Smyrnis (GRE), CN Sant Andreu (ESP), VA Cattaro Kotor (MNE)

Group E – Athens

Spandau 04 (GER), Szolnoki Dozsa-Praktiker (HUN), Panionios GSS (GRE), CN Tenerife Echeyde (ESP)

Group F – Aix-en-Provence

VK Jug AO Dubrovnik (CRO), Pays d’Aix Natation (FRA), SV Ludwigsburg 08 (GER), Panathinaikos AC (GRE), De Akker Team (NED)

Group G – Kranj

Ortigia 1928 (ITA), PAOK Saloniki (GRE), AVK Triglav Kranj (SLO), ASC Duisburg (GER)

Group H – Budapest

BVSC-Zuglo (HUN), Recco Waterpolo (ITA), Primorje EB Rijeka (CRO), CN Terrassa (ESP)

 

LEN Champions League, Group Stage (Day 1)

October 9 – Sabadell (ESP) vs. Savona (ITA)

 

Information via European Aquatics