Motlagh scores game-winning goal during final minutes against Navy

With less than two minutes remaining and the score tied in the championship game of last weekend's Collegiate Water Polo Association Crossover Weekend tournament in Grove City, Pa., men's water polo desperately needed a hero.

Freshman Jamal Motlagh came to the rescue, netting the game-winning-goal to defeat Navy, 9-8.

As expected, after breezing through the first three games, Princeton, seeded second, found itself facing top seeded Navy — ranked No. 10 nationally — in the final.

With the victory, the Tigers proved they are the team to beat on the East Coast.

The Tigers and the Midshipmen have been evenly matched over the past several seasons. Each of the past three years, the teams have played to one-goal games in the Southern Division finals.

The game started very badly for the Tigers, as they fell behind early and trailed 7-4 midway through the third quarter.

Multiple mistakes on offense led to several easy scores for Navy.

"[The first half] was some of the worst water polo of the year," Nicolao said.

The momentum shifted midway through the third quarter. "The defense really stepped up and we got smarter on offense," Nicolao said. "We made better decisions and had fewer turnovers."

With the score tied at eight and under two minutes remaining in the game, a man advantage and a bit of good luck allowed Princeton to pull ahead.

After it appeared Navy had forced a turnover, the Tigers regained possession and found themselves with a three on two advantage in front of the Navy goal. The ball ended up in the hand of Foster, who found an open Motlagh in the center of the court. Motlagh was able to convert from the six-yard-line, providing the winning margin of 9-8.

"It was kind of a freaky play," Nicolao said.

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Princeton opened on Friday with two blowout victories, defeating Gannon 18-6 and host Grove City 18-2. Senior co-captain and two-meter Kevin Foster and junior defender Dan Holligan led the team with six goals each on the day.

Against the weak competition, head coach Luis Nicolao made sure to spread around the playing time.

"We got a lot of kids in the game and gave hurt guys some rest," Nicolao said.

Freshman goalie Gant Morgner took full advantage of his opportunity to play, recording nine saves against Ganon and four more in the first half against Grove City.

He moved into the field for the second half and tallied three goals.

Princeton faced tougher competition Saturday morning from Bucknell. The Tigers' offense stayed in high gear, as they defeated the Bison 17-10. Senior co-captains Foster and defender Rob Urquhart each recorded five goals to lead the team. Five more players chipped in with goals. Morgner continued his strong play, making 15 saves.

With the tournament victory, the Tigers improved their record to 14-5 and secured the top seed in the Southern Division tournament. Princeton travels to Annapolis for the Eastern College Athletic Conference tournament this weekend. Navy, Harvard, Bucknell, and Johns Hopkins will be among the competition looking to avenge previous losses to the Tigers.