PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The Augustana Vikings men's water polo team will open their season on Saturday, September 2 with a pair of games at the Bruno Classic hosted by Brown. Augie will then head to Norton, Mass. on Sunday to close out their weekend out east.

In the summer of 2022, it was announced that the Augustana Vikings men's water polo team would be joining the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) and in just their first season in the league, the Vikings turned in an undefeated record and MPSF East championship. Augustana ended their season with a record of 14-6 overall, boasting 10 more wins than 2021.

Declan Hutton was named the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament Most Valuable Player, joining teammates Joseph Addison and Oskar Bannister on the all-tournament team.

Four members of the team - Hutton, Colin McDowell, Addison, and Bannister - were named to the ACWPC All-America Team, the most of any school represented. Hutton and McDowell notched Second Team honors, while Addison and Bannister snagged Honorable Mention.

The lone upperclassman from 2022 returns in Joseph Addison, who earned his second straight All-American honor this past season. Addison was second on the team in goals, third in assists, and fourth in steals. His younger brother, Mark Addison, returns for his sophomore campaign after posting 32 goals, good for fourth on the Vikings.

Fellow All-Americans McDowell and Bannister are back on offense. McDowell was the team's top goal scorer in 2022 with 46, while Bannister tallied 43 to go with a team-high 38 assists. Hutton, the reigning MPSF East MVP, stopped 158 shots in net for a save percentage of 57 percent.

From last year's team, 16 of the 18 members will return in 2023, including nine players with double-digit goals. This year's squad boasts 10 newcomers. The Vikings enter 2023 ranked No. 10 in the DIII varsity preason poll and will face a competitive slate to begin the season with three games against NCAA Division I schools and five against ranked Division III opponents 

On Saturday, the Vikings begin with the host school Brown Bears at 8 a.m.CDT. The Bears are coming off of a 16-16 overall record in 2022 and are receiving votes in the first edition of the Division I varsity poll entering this year. Brown will look to pick up their second straight season-opening win on Saturday after defeating fellow MPSF foe Austin last season by a score of 17-7. Saturday will mark the first-ever meeting between the Vikings and Bears.

Later in the day, Augie will take on the Fordham Rams at 3:30 p.m. CDT. The Rams enter the new season ranked No. 15 in Division I and are coming off of a 26-8 record in 2022. Fordham qualified for the NCAA DI Championship last season, but fell in the opening-round game to Princeton in overtime. The Rams open their season Saturday against No. 11 Pepperdine before taking on the Vikings for the first-time ever.

On Sunday, the Vikings square off against Mount St. Mary's to begin the day. The Mountaineers went 15-14 in 2022 and took ninth place at the Mid-Atlantic Championships following a 9-8 win over No. 9 Gannon. Mount St. Mary's will open their 2023 campaign on Saturday against Mercyhurst and Pacific. Sunday will mark the first-ever meeting between Augustana and Mount St. Mary's. Start time is scheduled for 7 a.m. CDT.

Mercyhurst will be the Vikings' opponent to round out their four-game weekend on Sunday, set to face off at 11:30 a.m. CDT. The Lakers went 3-22 last season, picking up two wins over Penn State Behrend and the other against Long Island. This will be the first of two matchups between the Vikings and Lakers this year, with other coming October 6 in Erie, Pa. The two teams squared off in 2022, resulting in a 22-7 win for Augustana in their first-ever encounter. 

Live coverage of the weekend can be found here.