Men's Water Polo | June 20, 2020

PHILADELPHIA – La Salle University men's water polo team announced its 2020 recruiting class on Tuesday as head coach Tom Hyham adds seven new Explorers to the fold. Along with four domestic players hailing from coast to coast, the group includes three arriving from Serbia, New Zealand and Italy, marking the Explorers largest international haul to date. 
 
The incoming freshmen will help round out an already strong incumbent group from 2019. Hyham's emphasis on having numbers (and length) in the cage is evident with four new goalkeepers, while three field players add speed, versatility and experience to the squad.
 
Enrique Carrasco – Goalkeeper
El Paso, Texas (Cathedral High School)
Carrasco comes from a Lasallian school and, as he puts it, wants to continue with a Lasallian education. 
 
Although his high school didn't have water polo, Carrasco was driven to play the sport in addition to being a three-letter athlete in baseball. Each day for five years, he'd go to baseball practice then cross over to Mexico and work on his water polo. 
 
Carrasco has plenty of international experience playing for Mexico, highlighted by winning gold at the Mexican National Olympics.
 
Hyham on Carrasco: "Enrique also comes to us with a bunch of international experience as a goalie in the Mexico National Team system.  His international experience will help lead our team and I am eager to watch him develop into one of our top players."
 
Chris Furlong – Attacker
Enola, Pa. (Cumberland Valley High School)
Furlong, the one local recruit in the class, began his high school career on the All-State Freshman Team as Cumberland Valley finished its undefeated season as state champions. Four years later, he concluded his senior campaign as team captain, First Team All-State and First Team All-Conference.
 
In addition to lettering each year in water polo, Furlong was a three year letterman in swimming where he made Mid-Penn Swimming qualifiers and District Swimming qualifiers three years each. 
 
Hyham on Furlong: "I am very excited for Chris to get started with us.  He brings the local Pennsylvania grit with him as a former player at Cumberland Valley.  His speed will be one of his biggest assets and will help open up our counter attack game."
 
Kiahi Horan – Attacker
Papamoa Beach, New Zealand (Tauranga Boys' College / Aquias College)
Horan has captained or vice-captained a number of sides at various levels throughout his water polo career, notably leading the Waikato U-18 team, Tauranga Boys' varsity team, and vice-captaining the New Zealand Secondary Schools team.
 
The 6'3" recruit has represented New Zealand as part of its Surf Lifesaving team (winning various national titles) and has a strong connection to the international scene. His father, Brendan, captained World Professional Lifeguard teams for both New Zealand and Australia, while also coaching New Zealand's women's water polo team. His aunt, Tui McCaull, is a former outrigger canoe world champion. His godfather, Ian Ferguson, is a four-time gold medalist in kayaking.
 
Horan now continues that lineage at Olney Ave. and is eager to start In La Salle's business program in the fall.
 
Hyham on Horan: "Kiahi will help solidify our 4/5 side as a strong left handed attacker.  He brings a wealth of experience having represented New Zealand in multiple international events.  His explosive speed will also be a huge added benefit to our team."
 
Veljko Kotarica – Goalkeeper
Zrenjanin, Serbia (Electro Technical High School "Nikola Tesla")
Kotarica fills up the cage at 6'4" and comes to La Salle with experience in Serbia's senior level of water polo.
 
He quickly progressed in 2017 from third-place results in the 15u Hungarian Regional League and Turbo Cup to similar finishes in 17u and 19u age groups in the Vojvodian Championship. Two years later, he made the leap from 17u to the senior level, finishing second as a first-choice goalkeeper in Serbia's second division. That same year, he finished second in the Vojvodian Championship in the 20u age bracket.
 
By the 2019-20 season, Kotarica had progressed to Serbia's B League where he was a second goalkeeper.
 
He chose La Salle because of the impression that the team made on him and to pursue a major in Computer Science.
 
Hyham on Kotarica: "Veljko experience playing in the goal in Serbia is very exciting to me.  He is 6'4" and has an enormous wing span.  His ability to block shots from anywhere in the pool will allow us to play a much more aggressive counter attack defense."
 
Tanner Powell – Goalkeeper
San Clemente, Calif. (Marina High School)
Powell is another lengthy goalkeeper at 6'3" and one of two California natives in this class. 
 
Following in the footsteps of his brother who was named MVP when Powell was a sophomore, he shortly made a name for himself over the next two years. As a junior, Powell finished as MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, First Team Sunset League and Scholar Athlete. He echoed those accomplishments in his final campaign, adding a Larry Doyle Hall of Fame nod and Sunset League All-Academic Team nomination.
 
Powell was frequently involved in the California club scene, playing for San Clemente, Vanguard and Huntington Beach where he recorded numerous high finishes.
 
Hyham on Powell: "Tanner is coming off a groundbreaking year at Marina High School in Huntington Beach.  As their goalkeeper, he led the team to their first playoff birth in many years as well as their first playoff win where he racked up nearly 20 saves.  At 6'3" He has the hieght and wing span I am looking for."
 
Tommaso Ramacciotti – Utility
Livorno, Italy (Liceo Gobetti – Volta / University of Florence)
Ramacciotti is the second athlete in this class with senior level European experience, having debuted in the Italian Serie C Division at 16. He has played in the Serie B division since 2018-19, first for NGM Firenze and most recently for De Akker Team Bologna. This season, Bologna was first and Ramacciotti scored eight goals in five games in a shortened season. 
 
Ramacciotti moved away from home when he was 14 to become a member Rari Nantes Florentia Water Polo Club, where he stayed until 2019. There he competed in various age groups of the Italian Men's National Water Polo Championships. He won the competition at the 15u level in 2014-15, came in second at the 17u that same year and again in 2015-16. In 2017-18, his team reached the quarterfinals in the 20u bracket and repeated that feat the following year.
 
His father, Maurizio, is a former water polo player and competitive athlete in free dive spearfishing. In the latter, Maurizio represented Italy for 20 years, winning two Italian Championships and one World Championship.
 
Ramacciotti joined La Salle for its business school and the ambition to test himself in American water polo.
 
Hyham on Ramacciotti: "Tommasso will add much more depth to our team as a strong utility player.  His ability to adapt to any position will allow us to broaden our game significantly and expose our opponents weaknesses."
 
Alex Sanderson – Goalkeeper
Thousand Oaks, Calif. (Newbury Park High School)
Sanderson is the fourth goalkeeper and second Californian in this class, checking in at 6'4". He lettered twice, making Second Team All Marmonte League as a junior and progressing to First Team All-Conference his final season. In both campaigns, he averaged around 11 saves per game.
 
Sanderson earned USA Water Polo Academic All American in 2018-19 and the Newbury Park Scholar Athlete award as a senior.
 
Hyham on Sanderson: "Alex is newer to the game but shows incredible promise.  As a 6'4" goalie, he has extremely natural abilities in the cage.  The thing that appealed to me most outside of his natural talent was his coachability.  Alex will have a great career at La Salle."