Sabbatini stymied men's water polo's foes all season

All too often, the only time a goalie receives any attention is when he does something wrong. This year, however, senior Peter Sabbatini rightfully gained notoriety for doing something — many things, in fact — right.

Sabbatini had already amassed an impressive record before this fall's men's water polo season even began. In 2003, he made 174 saves and led the Tigers to a 23-4 record, earning third-team All-American honors and the College Water Polo Association's Southern Division Player of the Year award.

Nonetheless, he topped all of his previous achievements this year, making 174 saves and leading the Tigers to a 25-6 overall record (10-0 CWPA) and the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. For his performance, he was named first-team All-Southern, first-team All-Eastern and, finally, second-team All-American.

His individual awards, however, don't show how crucial he was to his team this season. He made 195 saves this year, shutting down opponents game after game with his wall-like presence during the Tigers' 13-game winning streak in the middle of the season.

Even more impressively, he managed to keep his cool in the quadruple-overtime final of Eastern Championships against St. Francis, giving up just two goals all day — it's not hard to understand why he was named Easterns MVP. The Tigers won that game, 3-2, earning their first berth in the Final Four since 1992.

UCLA ended Princeton's run in the national semifinals, but Sabbatini's performance that day almost allowed the Tigers to upset the Bruins. Still, Princeton was ranked No. 9 in the final CWPA poll, the Orange and Black's highest-ever finish.

For his presence as the backbone of the Tiger defense and for his leadership in arguably the most successful season in the history of Princeton men's water polo, the 'Prince' is proud to name Peter Sabbatini its Male Athlete of the Year.