After extending their winning streak to an impressive 12 games, the Tigers (23-4 overall, 7-1 Collegiate Water Polo Association) fell to Ivy League rival Brown (27-6, 11-1) in the title game of the CWPA Eastern Championship by a score of 7-6. En route to the tournament final, Princeton dominated Johns Hopkins in the first round and then defeated their conference rival, Navy. On Sunday, the Tigers made their third championship appearance in four years but were not able to fight back from an early 3-0 deficit.
Hosted at the United States Naval Academy this year, the annual Eastern Championship pits the top 12 teams in the league together for a three-day tournament. The dominant Tigers brought their impressive winning streak and Southern Division title to the tournament. Seeded under only Brown, Princeton carried high expectations going into the tournament.
On Friday, the Tigers faced Johns Hopkins, the first step to the championship game. Although Hopkins was seeded well below the Tigers at No. 7, Princeton had lost an away matchup with the Blue Jays during the regular season. The game turned out to be a blowout victory for the Tigers, who finished 18-5. Princeton wasted little time and obtained a 9-2 lead heading into intermission. Princeton then sealed the win by scoring seven unanswered goals in the third quarter.
Advancing to the semifinals on Saturday, the Tigers faced Navy at its home pool. The Orange and Black had previously lost two championship matches against the Midshipmen, so Saturday’s game presented a much more formidable challenge. Yet, Princeton entered the game with confidence, having swept the Midshipmen in two games during the regular season. In the end, the Tigers greatly benefited from an early 3-0 lead. The second half featured a stronger Midshipman offense, but the Tigers responded to each goal and finished the match 6-3. Notably, senior co-captain and attacker Drew Hoffenberg scored his 60th goal of the season.
At last, the Tigers made another return to the Eastern title game on Sunday. Facing top-seeded Brown, the game received much attention as the Bears hadn’t won a championship since 1985. The Tigers, on the other hand, were veterans of the championship game, with a 3-4 record in appearances since 2003. Reflecting on the weekend, head coach Luis Nicolao said, “We knew Brown was going to be one of our toughest opponents. It was a final that we predicted would happen.”
However, in a cruel plot twist from the previous night, the Tigers dug a 3-0 deficit in the first quarter. In response, sophomore utility Jovan Jeremic scored two much-needed goals in the second quarter to reduce the game to a manageable 4-3 deficit. The Tigers then completed their comeback in the third quarter. With little time remaining on the clock, the Bears came out of a fourth quarter timeout to score the final game-winning goal. In explaining the loss, Nicolao said afterward, “We weren’t making our shots or attacking their defense. It seemed we were rattled, and nothing was easy. For some reason, mentally, we never got into the flow of the game.”
Although the Tigers did lose their automatic NCAA Championship bid, the team nevertheless experienced an amazing season, finishing 23-4. The seniors on the team will graduate with an impressive three championship games under their belt. For the rest of the team, the future looks bright, with a strong nucleus returning next year.
“Championship games are hard and you need some luck. Right now the game stings, but we had a great year and I’m proud of the guys,” Nicolao said.
One can only wonder where the team’s momentum will carry them in the years to come.
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