Men's water polo to host Inter-Regional tourney

After several successful games under the sun in California, the men's water polo team will host the Inter-Regional Competition this weekend.

The Tigers made a strong impression on the West Coast, finishing the tourney 3-1 to bring their record to 14-2. Now that they are home again, the Tigers are gearing up for a weekend tournament that will impact seeding for the Southern and Eastern Championships, which will be held in November.

Noteworthy opponents in the upcoming College Water Polo Association regional competition include Gannon University, Bucknell, Penn State, John Hopkins, Navy and Mercyhurst.

In formal tournament format, the Tigers will only face a few of the teams present, and should have little trouble advancing to the championship round.

The Tigers have already faced off against John Hopkins, Bucknell, and Navy this season, knocking off each team with little trouble. Most recently, Princeton played Navy and Hopkins in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championships in Providence, R.I., in which the Midshipmen and Jays fell to an overpowering and well-prepared Princeton team. Now, with several more weeks of preparation and experience since they last met, the Tigers are ready to take on Navy and Hopkins again.

"We are anticipating some tough competition, and a championship atmosphere as well as some really good games at the end of the weekend," senior two-meter Dan McKenna said.

Navy, which has tested Princeton twice this season, will be the Tigers' toughest opponent. The Tigers defeated Navy in a memorable game in mid-September, in which McKenna scored the game-winner in overtime.

"[Navy] always comes to play," sophomore driver Mike McKenna said. "They know what we have and we know what they have, so it all come downs to who plays the better game."

Princeton will have an obvious advantage in that it will be competing in its own pool this weekend. This is a relief of sorts, especially since Princeton's games last weekend were across the country in California.

"We need to do well here to set ourselves up for the rest of the season," McKenna said.

Princeton has recovered from its California trip, and the challenge of competing against some of the country's best programs has made the team better. After a successful start to its season, the Tigers do not intend to change up the flow of the game that much this weekend, focusing on playing solid defense and on getting McKenna and Stover their shots when on offense.

So far this season, the Tigers have played extremely well. Sophomore driver John Stover has led the way offensively, while senior two-meter defender D.J. Haliday has anchored a stellar defense. Meanwhile, junior goaltender Peter Sabbatini has done a superb job of manning the net.