Saturday, November 22
Annapolis, Md.
5:30 p.m.
Princeton University
14
vs
9
#17 Brown
Players Mentioned
C/CD
/ Men's Water Polo
C/CD
/ Men's Water Polo
G
/ Men's Water Polo
LATT
/ Men's Water Polo
ATT
/ Men's Water Polo
LATT
/ Men's Water Polo
Men's Water Polo Defeats Brown to Move to Eastern Final
November 22, 2008 | Men's Water Polo
ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Princeton junior Eric Vreeland scored four goals and sophomore goalkeeper Mike Merlone made 12 saves to lead the 13th-ranked Princeton men's water polo team to a 14-9 win over 17th-ranked Brown in the first semifinal of the 2008 Eastern Championship at Navy.
Princeton advances to face No. 14 Navy at 1:30 p.m. tomorrow afternoon in the championship game with the league title and automatic berth to the NCAA Championship tournament on the line. Navy defeated No. 12 St. Francis College 12-11 in overtime in the other semifinal. The game will be a rematch of the Southern Championship game that Princeton won 12-11 two weekends ago at DeNunzio Pool. Princeton is 2-1 this season against Navy.
The title game marks Princeton's first appearance in the Eastern title game season since 2006. In the history of the league, the Tigers are 2-2 in Eastern title games, falling to Navy in 2003 and 2006 and taking the 1992 and 2004 crowns.
Princeton scored the game's first two goals before Brown got on the scoreboard, but the Tigers quickly regained the two-goal lead and held a 3-1 edge after eight minutes of play. Princeton never trailed in the contest and built a 6-4 lead by halftime.
Junior Douglas Wigley opened the scoring for the Tigers with 4:43 left in the first period before senior Alex Edmunds made the score 2-0 at 3:46 with a rip from the wing for a 2-0 margin. Brown halved the lead at 2:31 with a marker by Mike Gartner, but the Tigers clawed back courtesy a successful 5-meter shot by Vreeland at 1:14 to put Princeton ahead 3-1.
The lead grew to 5-1 midway through the second period as sophomore Jeff Cole dropped in a goal at 6:27 and Vreeland finished on an advantage chance at 3:29, but the Bears came back with a pair of goals off exclusion scores by Gordon Hood and Nico Fort at 3:08 and 2:09, respectively, to pull Brown to within two goals.
Neither team was done scoring in the period as Wigley slipped through the Brown defense for a goal at 1:19 and Zach Levko flipped in an advantage score with 53 seconds left in the first half for a 6-4 Princeton lead at halftime.
The teams traded shots in the third to an 8-5 Tigers' lead before Vreeland went on a mini-spurt with even-strength tallies at 2:49 and 2:02 to give his team a 10-5 lead. Brown trimmed the lead to four with 27 seconds left in the period with a marker by Hood to make it 10-6 with eight minutes to play.
Brown pulled to within 10-7 with 7:04 left in the fourth period courtesy a penalty shot by Grant LeBeau, but the Bears could pull no closer as Princeton was able to hang on for the 14-9 win.
The win was Princeton's third of the season over Brown as the Tigers improved to 19-9 overall this season and reeled off their sixth straight win.
Brown 1 3 2 3 - 9
Princeton 3 3 4 4 - 14
Princeton Goals: Eric Vreeland (4); Douglas Wigley (3); Mark Zalewski (2); Matt Hale (2); Alex Edmunds; Jeff Cole; Gregor Horstmeyer
Brown Goals: Gordon Hood (3); Mike Gartner (2); Grant LeBeau; Corey Schwartz; Nico Fort; Zach Levko
Saves: Princeton - Mike Merlone (12) ; Brown - Kent Holland (6)
Ejections: Princeton - 12; Brown - 6
Sprints: Princeton - 3 (1st - Eric Vreeland, 2nd & 4th - Douglas Wigley) ; Brown - 1 (3rd - Zach Levko)
Princeton advances to face No. 14 Navy at 1:30 p.m. tomorrow afternoon in the championship game with the league title and automatic berth to the NCAA Championship tournament on the line. Navy defeated No. 12 St. Francis College 12-11 in overtime in the other semifinal. The game will be a rematch of the Southern Championship game that Princeton won 12-11 two weekends ago at DeNunzio Pool. Princeton is 2-1 this season against Navy.
The title game marks Princeton's first appearance in the Eastern title game season since 2006. In the history of the league, the Tigers are 2-2 in Eastern title games, falling to Navy in 2003 and 2006 and taking the 1992 and 2004 crowns.
Princeton scored the game's first two goals before Brown got on the scoreboard, but the Tigers quickly regained the two-goal lead and held a 3-1 edge after eight minutes of play. Princeton never trailed in the contest and built a 6-4 lead by halftime.
Junior Douglas Wigley opened the scoring for the Tigers with 4:43 left in the first period before senior Alex Edmunds made the score 2-0 at 3:46 with a rip from the wing for a 2-0 margin. Brown halved the lead at 2:31 with a marker by Mike Gartner, but the Tigers clawed back courtesy a successful 5-meter shot by Vreeland at 1:14 to put Princeton ahead 3-1.
The lead grew to 5-1 midway through the second period as sophomore Jeff Cole dropped in a goal at 6:27 and Vreeland finished on an advantage chance at 3:29, but the Bears came back with a pair of goals off exclusion scores by Gordon Hood and Nico Fort at 3:08 and 2:09, respectively, to pull Brown to within two goals.
Neither team was done scoring in the period as Wigley slipped through the Brown defense for a goal at 1:19 and Zach Levko flipped in an advantage score with 53 seconds left in the first half for a 6-4 Princeton lead at halftime.
The teams traded shots in the third to an 8-5 Tigers' lead before Vreeland went on a mini-spurt with even-strength tallies at 2:49 and 2:02 to give his team a 10-5 lead. Brown trimmed the lead to four with 27 seconds left in the period with a marker by Hood to make it 10-6 with eight minutes to play.
Brown pulled to within 10-7 with 7:04 left in the fourth period courtesy a penalty shot by Grant LeBeau, but the Bears could pull no closer as Princeton was able to hang on for the 14-9 win.
The win was Princeton's third of the season over Brown as the Tigers improved to 19-9 overall this season and reeled off their sixth straight win.
Brown 1 3 2 3 - 9
Princeton 3 3 4 4 - 14
Princeton Goals: Eric Vreeland (4); Douglas Wigley (3); Mark Zalewski (2); Matt Hale (2); Alex Edmunds; Jeff Cole; Gregor Horstmeyer
Brown Goals: Gordon Hood (3); Mike Gartner (2); Grant LeBeau; Corey Schwartz; Nico Fort; Zach Levko
Saves: Princeton - Mike Merlone (12) ; Brown - Kent Holland (6)
Ejections: Princeton - 12; Brown - 6
Sprints: Princeton - 3 (1st - Eric Vreeland, 2nd & 4th - Douglas Wigley) ; Brown - 1 (3rd - Zach Levko)
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