CWPA Announces Changes to 2012 Women's Collegiate Club Southwest Division Schedule

BRIDGEPORT, Pa. -- Due to snow expected in the Fort Collins, Colo., area on Friday night, the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) has released changes to the schedule of games for the 2012 Women's National Collegiate Club Southwest Division during the weekend of February 4-5 at the EPIC Aquatic Center in Fort Collins, Colo. 

To accommodate teams forced to arrive on Saturday morning due to the inclement weather, the schedule has been pushed back to begin at 10 a.m. with Colorado State University taking on the University of Denver. The order of games will remain the same as the previously publish schedule with the U.S. Air Force Academy facing the University of Colorado at 11:10 a.m., Colorado State University and Colorado College squaring off at 12:30 p.m., the U.S. Air Force Academy meeting the University of Denver at 1:40 p.m., the Colorado College will close the day with the University of Colorado at 3:00 p.m. and the University of Denver at 4:10 p.m. There are no changes to Sunday's slate of games. 

Comprised of Arizona State University "A", Arizona State University "B", Colorado College, Colorado State, Northern Arizona, University of Arizona, University of Colorado, Denver, University of New Mexico and the United States Air Force Academy, the division expands to 10-teams as the Rocky Mountain Division merges back into the Southwest Division for the 2012 year after the two divisions split prior to the 2011 season.

Action begins on February 4-5 at the EPIC Aquatic Center with 10 games, before continuing at Air Force nearly a month later in Colorado Springs, Colo. with 20 games in two pools.

New Mexico in Albuquerque, N.M. will host the final regular season tournament of the season as 10 contests will occur on March 31-April 1 to wrap-up the regular season and set the field for the 15-game division championship on April 13-15 at Arizona in Tucson, Ariz.  The division champion will advance to the National Collegiate Club Championship tournament at Florida State University on May 4-6 in Tallahassee, Fla.

Based on history, it could be any team's division to win as six-time champion Arizona (1998, 2000, 2001, 2007, 2008, 2009) joins fellow past champions Northern Arizona (1999), Colorado (2003), Air Force (2005) and defending champion Arizona State (2011) looking to return to the top of the division standings with a berth to Florida State on the line.  However, do not discount Colorado College, Colorado State, Denver or New Mexico joining the five and inactive past champion Utath (2001, 2004, 2006, 2010) to become the seventh program in division history to clinch the Southwest's automatic berth to the National Collegiate Club Championship.