Tigers win pair but fall to Johns Hopkins, Navy

Despite winning two games over the weekend, the men's water polo team came home disappointed because it also notched two losses.

Losses to Johns Hopkins and Navy contrasted with wins against Salem International and George Washington and resulted in the fact that Princeton will not enter the Southern Championships with a top ranking.

The Tigers (15-8 overall, 7-3 College Water Polo Association) started the weekend with an upset loss to Johns Hopkins (17-6), 15-14.

Though Princeton enjoyed a five-goal lead at the start of the fourth quarter, the Blue Jays were able to record six tallies to send the match into overtime.

Tied at 12, Johns Hopkins posted three goals, two by driver Win Bates and one by utility James Singleton. The Tigers' two goals were not enough, as the Blue Jays edged Princeton by one goal.

Though demoralizing, the loss didn't seem to affect the Tigers during Saturday morning's game against Salem International.

Princeton defeated the Tigers (of the Salem International variety), 13-7, with senior Chris Kelsch scoring four goals in the match.

Fourth-quarter malaise

The evening contest against Navy was a much tougher match than the one Princeton participated in that morning.

"It is always exciting going into Navy and playing in front of their suppressed and, in turn, raucous fans," senior goalie Gant Morgner said. "It simulates a championship atmosphere when the stands are packed and the game is close going into the fourth quarter."

The Midshipmen led the Tigers 3-1 at the end of the first quarter and 5-4 at halftime. After going ahead by a 6-5 score, Princeton lost the lead and was outscored 4-1 in the final quarter.

The inability to play consistently throughout the match against Navy may spell danger for the Tigers in subsequent games this season.

"If we are not able to step up our play and hold a lead in the fourth [quarter], as we did not, being outscored, 4-1, in the final quarter, we cannot consider ourselves a championship-caliber team," Morgner said.

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The match finished, 9-7, in favor of the Midshipmen, giving the top seed in the Southern Division Tournament to Navy.

Once again, though, Princeton didn't let the disappointment of the previous evening get the best of it the next morning.

Sunday's game against George Washington saw the Tigers defeat the Colonials, 12-6.

The match was close in the first half, with Princeton only leading 4-3 at halftime. A third-quarter rally allowed the Tigers to take back control over the game when they outscored George Washington, 7-1.

Morgner said the team didn't "feel too good" about the weekend because it will cause a slip in its ranking.

"I envisioned that we would come back to Princeton with a 4-0 record this weekend," Morgner said. "We will no longer go into the Southern Championships ranked No. 1."

Though disappointed, Princeton does come away from the weekend with some important lessons learned.

"Too many times during this weekend we made mistakes on offense that led to counterattacks and mismatches on defense," Morgner said. "If we cut out these advantages that we are giving to opposing teams, we will be incredibly hard to beat, but for now we are just beating ourselves."