What sport is like running a marathon, playing a game of chess, and trying to survive a mugging all in 10 feet of water? According to sophomore driver Kyle Morgan, it's men's water polo. It's a tough job but someone has to do it, and the 2004 Princeton squad looks ready to meet the challenge.
In 2003 the Tigers delivered a stellar performance, going 23-4 and ending their season No. 11 in the nation. But the charmed season ended with a disappointing loss to archrival Navy in the Eastern Championship game, and the team comes back this season with a score to settle.
Still smarting from the close loss, the Tigers' primary goal this year is to win Easterns, which would also give them an automatic berth to the NCAA Final Four.
The biggest obstacles the Tigers will face along the road to the Final Four will most likely come in the forms of Navy and St. Francis. Princeton will also play a tournament in California against Stanford and Northern California, two of college water polo's traditional powerhouses.
Princeton faces a stiff test very early in the season, as the Tigers take on St. Francis this weekend in the 2004 Princeton Invitational. St. Francis, which came in third at the 2003 Eastern Championships, is coming off of two huge upset wins over Loyola-Marymount and Long Beach State in California. St. Francis has a lot of momentum and will pose a formidable challenge to the Tigers.
Though Princeton graduated four impact seniors last year, the Tigers' depth — including the addition of three talented freshmen — and a new assistant coach make both notching a victory against St. Francis this weekend and getting to the Final Four this season feasible.
In order to achieve these goals, the Tigers will need strong play from two returning upperclassmen All-Americans, junior driver John Stover and senior goalkeeper Peter Sabbatini.
Stover was named to the honorable mention All-America team for his offensive efforts last season. The junior led the Tigers in scoring and was also named the Southern Championship MVP.
Sabbatini, a third-team All-American, recorded 150 saves last season, including multiple games with 10 saves or more. Sabbatini is also serving as co-captain along with senior center Michael Murray.
"We have great senior leadership on the team," Morgan said. "And the freshmen look really promising so we're expecting a strong season."
While the seniors and freshmen will certainly do their parts this season, the 17 returning sophomores and juniors form the core of the team. The tightly-knit and hard working group will need to play well for the Tigers to have success this season.
"With a new assistant coach, plenty of experienced players returning, and a bunch of young guys ready to step up, I think we can be just as good, if not better, than we were last season," sophomore utility Reid Joseph said.
That theory will certainly be put to the test this weekend as the Tigers kick off their season with the Princeton Invitational and games against UC-Santa Cruz, Fordham, Brown, and St. Francis. But after weeks of intense preseason training, the team feels prepared to get into the pool and test the waters.
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