Men’s water polo falls to Harvard, beats Dartmouth in Ivy League Championships

In a fierce Sunday battle at DeNunzio Pool, the no. 10 Tigers (10-4 overall, 3-0 CWPA) were felled by Harvard men’s water polo team 6-12. The Tigers rallied in the afternoon to defeat Dartmouth 17-2 to clinch third place in the Ivy League Championships. It was Princeton’s first loss to Harvard since 2001.Princeton had previously met Harvard one time this season at home, winning 16-12.

In the match this weekend, Harvard jumped to an early 3-2 lead over Princeton in the first quarter, but a tenacious Princeton offense spearheaded by sophomore attacker Jordan Colina and freshman driver Michael Swart tied the score at halftime 4-4. Harvard turned in a strong second half to ultimately outscore the Tigers 8-2 over the last two quarters, winning the match 12-6. The high-powered and spirited Princeton offense was blunted by the efforts of the Harvard defense, led by Harvard goalie Colin Woolway.

Colina and Swart were the Tigers’ high scorers, netting two goals apiece. Senior center Tommy Nelson and freshman driver Matt Payne also each contributed one goal. The Tigers turned in commanding performances on the defensive end as well. Colina led the team with three steals, with Nelson, senior utility Jamie Kuprenas and freshman utility Ryan Wilson attaining at least one steal in nbso online casino reviews the match as well. Payne and Nelson led the Orange and the Black with two blocks each, augmented by Kuprenas, Colina and senior utility Bradley Watchtell, who had one block each against the Crimson. At the net, sophomore goalie Vojislav Mitrovic’s 11 saves during the match were a testament to the Tigers’ determination even in defeat.

Later in the afternoon, Princeton met Dartmouth, the winner of the club bracket, to fight for the third-place title in the Ivy League Championships. The Orange and the Black immediately seized the initiative, as the Tigers would roll onto an 8-0 lead by halftime. Continued commanding performances on both ends of the pool in the second half of the match buoyed the Tigers to a comfortable 17-2 victory over the Big Green for a third-place title. Brown earned the league title, followed by the Crimson in second place, who were defeated 13-8.

Despite the disappointment of not playing in the championship finals, the Tigers ultimately turned in a strong performance that reflected their skill, talent and perseverance even in the face of defeat. They quickly refocused and turned their loss around with a decisive victory over a strong Dartmouth team. The Tigers will next take on divisional rivals Johns Hopkins (13-7, 4-3) at home on Oct. 23. Princeton won its first matchup against the Blue Jays this season in a grueling 17-15, double-overtime match away on Sept. 26.