2023 All-WWPA teams announced, Salem’s Krstonosic takes home Player of Year

All-WWPA Teams (PDF)

The 2023 Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) all-conference teams have been announced ahead of the WWPA Men's Championship, Nov. 17-19, 2023, at the McKendree Metro Rec Plex in O'Fallon, Ill.

The honorees were decided via voting by conference head coaches.

Salem's Nikola Krstonosic was voted WWPA Player of the Year after leading his Tigers to the WWPA Championship's No. 1 overall seed and an East Region regular season title. Krstonosic, a Cutino Award Watch List honoree, leads the WWPA in nearly all offensive categories including points (200), goals (119), assists (81), goals per game (6.0), assists per game (4.0) and points per game (10.0).

The junior from Serbia was particularly lethal during conference play at the WWPA Erie Classic and the WWPA Morgantown Classic. He combined for 68 points on 39 goals and 29 assists during the six games, scoring 12 goals and dishing out nine assists for a conference-high 21 points against Mercyhurst on Oct. 28. The southpaw has finished with double-digit points in six of his last seven games and 10 times this season.

A two-time ACWPC Division II All-American, Krstonosic was named WWPA Offensive Player of the Week twice this season (Sept. 11-17 & Oct. 30-Nov. 5).

He was joined on the All-WWPA First Team with teammate Marko Zivojinovic, another two-time WWPA Player of the Week (Oct. 9-15 & Oct. 23-29). M. Zivojinovic is also a reigning DII All-American and he slots in second in the conference in most offensive categories (points - 160, goals - 99, assists - 61).

Salem led all WWPA schools with six players honored - Krstonosic, M. Zivojinovic, Ivan Zivojinovic (Second Team), Goncalo Silva (All-Defensive), Antonio Sablic (All-Freshman) and Marko Jovanovic (All-Freshman).

Biola, which earned the West's No. 1 seed by virtue of its 4-0 West Region record, had a conference-high three players named All-WWPA First Team - Mitchell Carpenter, Nolan Rapp and Max Osborn. 

Carpenter, who also was named to the All-Defensive Team, led the conference in saves (301), save percentage (.528) and goals-against average (11.03), while tallying the third-most steals (39). He earned WWPA Defensive Player of the Week three times (Sept. 4-10, Sept. 25-Oct. 1 & Oct. 2-8) and put up 15 double-digit save performances. He saved his best for conference foes, racking up a season-high 23 against McKendree on Sept. 28 and 22 against Concordia on Nov. 2.

Rapp and Osborn were the stalwarts on the offensive side of the tank for the Eagles. Rapp's 100 points and 51 assists were both top-five in the conference, and his conference-high 43 steals were a major reason why he was also named to the All-Defensive Team. Osborn, a 2022 All-WWPA second teamer, moved up to the top squad after a 68-goal 2023.

Gannon's Alexandros Kotskar's 91 goals ranked third in the conference, and he finished in the top-five in points (104) and points per game (5.5).

Concordia's Harry Bentham's 54 goals were eighth-best in conference and his 33 steals were fourth-most.

Biola's Roman Saroyan took home WWPA Freshman of the Year honors after a solid first year in La Mirada. He finished third in scoring for the Eagles, and ranked in the WWPA's top 10 for goals (57), assists (34), points (91), sprint wins (40) and steals (31). He was also named to the All-WWPA Second Team and All-WWPA Freshman Team.

For the first time in conference history, the WWPA honored its defensive standouts with the WWPA All-Defensive Team. Bentham, Osborn and Rapp also were included on that team along with goalkeeper/defender Silva (Salem), William Green (Fresno Pacific), Adam Serrano (McKendree) and John Grasso (Biola).

2023 WWPA Men's All-Conference Team

Player of the Year: Nikola Krstonosic, Jr., Salem
Freshman of the Year: Roman Saroyan, Fr., Biola

First Team
Nikola Krstonosic, Salem
Alexandros Kotskar, Gannon
Nolan Rapp, Biola
Max Osborn, Biola
Marko Zivojinovic, Salem
Mitchell Carpenter, Biola

Second Team
Breno Tebet, McKendree
Ivan Zivojinovic, Salem
William Green, Fresno Pacific
Roman Saroyan, Biola
Yannick Robertson, McKendree
Jacob Stuart, Concordia
Tony Golin, Mercyhurst

Honorable Mention
Vladimir Mickic, Gannon
Asher Jones, Mercyhurst
Seth Johnson, Gannon
Dylan Schmitzerle, Gannon
Forrest Gray, Fresno Pacific 
Owen Hardner, Mercyhurst
Alvaro Marco, Gannon

All-Defensive Team
Harry Bentham, Concordia
William Green, Fresno Pacific
Adam Serrano, McKendree
Goncalo Silva, Salem
Nolan Rapp, Biola
John Grasso, Biola
Mitchell Carpenter, Biola

All-Freshman Team
Roman Saroyan, Biola
Yannick Robertson, McKendree
Asher Jones, Mercyhurst
Antonio Sablic, Salem
Kaliq Khan, Concordia
Jace Peterson, Concordia
Scott Tashima, Fresno Pacific
Marko Jovanovic, Salem
Alex Gyde, Mercyhurst