Men's Water Polo

Following its 2009 NCAA appearance, the men's water polo team entered 2010 without the eight seniors who had lead them to the Final Four. Short five starters in a game that only puts seven players in the pool, Princeton seemed poised for a rebuilding year. In this midst of reconstructing their team, however, the Tigers came out strong, taking first place at the newly re-instated Ivy League Tournament and finishing third at Eastern Championships.

This weekend marked the end of the men’s water polo season as Princeton placed third at the Eastern Championship, falling short of a repeat NCAA Final Four bid. The No. 15 Tigers (19-8 overall, 6-3 Collegiate Water Polo Association Southern Division) registered a 10-4 win against Massachusetts Institute of Technology (13-12), fell to No. 18 Navy (24-7, 8-1) 5-8 and defeated No. 17 Bucknell (13-16, 2-7) 8-7.

This weekend the men’s water polo team will travel to Lewisburg, Pa., for the Eastern Championship. The top four teams from the Collegiate Water Polo Association Southern and Northern divisions will compete for a bid to the NCAA tournament and the chance to play in the Final Four. The No. 16 Tigers (17-7 overall, 6-2 CWPA Southern Division) won the top seed in the Southern Division by defeating No. 17 Bucknell (12-14, 2-6) at the Southern Championship. At Easterns this weekend, Princeton will face Massachusetts Institute of Technology (12-10), the No. 4 seed from the Northern Division.

Halloween weekend marked the first Ivy League tournament in men’s water polo in more than three decades. Princeton claimed the championship trophy, followed by Brown in second and Harvard in third. The following weekend, the Tigers traveled to Annapolis, Md., to claim the Collegiate Water Polo Association Southern Division Championship. This was their second consecutive title, and sixth overall.

For the first time ever, the Collegiate Water Polo Association will hold an Ivy League championship tournament, which Princeton will host in DeNunzio Pool this weekend.