Feb. 8, 2010

LONG BEACH, Calif. -

Complete Release in PDF Format

Gavin Arroyo has announced the signing of five new players to National Letter's of Intent to play men's water polo at Long Beach State. Four of the players are from California, while one comes from Ohio.

"This is the best recruiting class we have had," Arroyo said. "Two first-team All- Americans, one second-team All-American and two National Junior Team members. All five players will bring their personal success with them this fall and join the core group of returners already in the program that we feel will help bring a National Championship to Long Beach State."

Player bios listed below:

Matt Kidwell, Attacker, 6-2, 185, Fr., Stockton, Calif. (St. Mary's HS)

A four-year letterman in both water polo and swimming ... Named first-team All-America ... Earned first-team all-conference honors each of his four seasons at St. Mary's ... Earned CIF Central Section MVP honors as a senior ... Served as team captain as a senior ... High school coach was Chris Radmonovich.

Coach Arroyo says: "Matt has all the tools to be successful in Division 1 college water polo. The attributes about Matt that will contribute to his success are his swimming ability and his natural ability to be a goal scorer. Perhaps Matt's greatest attribute is his approach to playing water polo. Matt is another player who knows how to win championships"

Dan Matulis, Defender, 6-11, 220, Fr., Milford, Ohio (Milford HS)

A four-year letterman in water polo at Milford High School ... Named first-team All-Ohio in 2007 and 2008 ... Named to the Ohio Cup All-Tournament Team in 2007, 2008 and 2009 ... Led team to the Ohio State Championship in 2008 ... Set single-season school records for goals (176) and assists (85), while also finishing with 85 steals ... High school coach was Gary Tameris ... A member of the Rockford Aquatics Club where he competed in the Junior Olympics in both 2008 and 2009 ... Participated in the 2009 ODP Championships ... Part of the 2009 Junior National Training Team.

Coach Arroyo says: "Dan is the first water polo player from Ohio to sign with a Division 1 water polo program and we are lucky to have him. Dan has unlimited potential with a combination of his remarkable size and being left handed. Dan had the opportunity to be a member of the US National Junior Training Team this summer and has improvement significantly. We look forward to continuing his development."

Devin Mefford, Attacker, 6-2, 180, Fr., Ventura, Calif. (Ventura HS)

A three-year letterman in both water polo and swim at Ventura High School ... Named second-team All-America an second-team All-CIF Southern Section ... Earned first-team all-conference honors as a junior and senior ... Team captain during senior season ... High school coach was Matt Cherrie.

Coach Arroyo says: "Devin is an all-around player. He has the ability to make an impact on either end of the pool as a perimeter defender or as an offensive attacker. Devin does a great job of recognizing details while playing the game which is what makes him so dangerous. I am looking forward to having Devin's versatility and relentless goal scoring mentality."

Nick Rascon, Attacker, 6-2, 180, Fr., Laguna Hills, Calif. (El Toro HS)

A three-year letterman at El Toro High School in El Toro, Calif. ... Named CIF Division I co-player of the year and first-team All-America ... Earned first-team All-Sea View League honors after scoring 112 goals as a senior ... Earned first-team all-league honors as a junior ... High school coach was Don Stoll ... Played for the U.S. Junior National Team for two years ... In 2009 helped the junior national team to an eighth-place finish at the Junior World Championships in Sibenik, Croatia and in 2008 helped the jujnior team to a first-place finish at the Pan-American Game in Rio de Janiero.

Coach Arroyo says: "Nick is arguably the top recruit in the country. He is a fierce competitor and possesses an exceptional work ethic. As a two year member of the US National Junior Team, he will have a smooth transition to the college game. Nick led his high school team to consecutive appearances in the CIF-SS Division 1 Championship game, having won this past season. He knows how to win games and championships. We anticipate Nick having an immediate impact on our program next year with his role increasing every year."

Rob Robinson, Utility, 6-4, 200, Fr., Carlsbad, Calif. (Carlsbad HS)

A three-year letterman in water polo and a four-year letterman in swim at Carlsbad High School ... Helped team win its seventh straight CIF title as a senior ... Holds the Carlsbad High School record for most assists (101) in a single season ... A two-time first-team All-CIF pick ... Also a two-time all-league and all-county first teamer ... All-America selection in 2008 and 2009 ... Member of senior all-star team ... Team won San Diego Section CIF Division 1 championship all four years ... Played club for Carlsbad Club ... Named to the Union Tribune All-Academic Team and a CHS Scholar Athlete ... High school coach was J.B. Feaster ... A member of the U.S. Cadet National Team.

Coach Arroyo says: "Rob's game awareness and decision making ability is one of the best I have seen from a player coming out of high school. He is blessed with a natural ability to move in the water which will help him at the Division 1 level. He has great fundamentals which allow him to control the tempo of the game. Rob is a natural leader and we expect great things from him."