July 7, 2007

Entry by Senior Co-Captain Jason Rechel
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7/7/2007

The trip to Slovakia, which rendered a pair of much needed wins, seemed to boost team confidence. Since our return from the country to the north and following a much needed day off (visiting the US Steel plant) we have looked and played much sharper in the pool. A relaxing day touring the steel mills was exactly what I needed to ease up on the aches and pains that are inevitably associated with not having a day off for 13 consecutive days. After this restful day we had three pool sessions of productive scrimmaging and practice before our tournament here in Eger began. This tournament is extremely important for us as a team. Not only did we need to play well in order to maximize our game experiences here, but to build positive momentum as we head towards preseason back at Bucknell. A poor showing in the tournament would likely leave a bitter taste in our mouths leaving Hungary and perhaps even leave us wondering "what if."

Our first tournament game was against the Eger U18 club team that we have been training with for the past week. This is the top club team in Hungary and they are talented, fast and physical. For the duration of the week we have been unable to figure out their press defense and unable to run a successful defense of our own. We were determined to change this in our final game against our friends from Eger. It was clear that our mentality was much different from the beginning of the game and we were playing much tougher, communicating better and executing our game plan to perfection. We had failed to come within 3 goals of this team all week, yet when it mattered most we took a 10-3 lead on the team early in the 4th quarter. Everything seemed to click and we were finally executing and implementing all that we had learned and practiced previously in Hungary. We won the game 11-7 after a late flurry to stand 1-0 atop our tournament bracket. We will play our final two tournament games this afternoon before heading to the legendary wine tasting festival of Eger.

It has become evident that the end is near for us here in Eastern Europe, and we have begun to play that way in the pool. Our pool sessions have become more and more productive each day and we are shaping into a team with an attitude. The final few days here are critical for us to maximize our time and come away from this trip on the highest possible note. Leaving after a slew of victories, a few highly successful practices at the end, and smiles on our faces is the highly preferable scenario. We have become accustomed to the Hungarian style of play which has allowed us to begin playing our game and to impose our style upon the opponent rather than be dictated to.

Our style has evolved from what it was a year ago, and from what it has ever been in my past three years at Bucknell. We have been battle tested and have survived. It would appear that the future of this Bucknell water polo team is very bright as we come near a close in Eastern Europe.