Princeton University
#17 Navy
Players Mentioned
Men's Water Polo Tops Navy in Overtime, Takes Over First in Division
October 17, 2011 | Men's Water Polo
The Tigers got off to a slow start in the win, trailing Navy by as many as three goals in the first quarter before closing the gap and drawing even at the half. Navy led 2-0 and 4-1 in that first quarter, but Princeton scored to close the first quarter and netted the only two goals of the second quarter for a 4-4 tie at halftime.
Princeton took its first lead early in the third quarter but the teams continued to trade goals with both teams taking leads throughout the third and fourth quarters. The score was tied at seven after the third quarter and nine at the end of regulation.
In overtime, Helou scored the only goal of the two extra sessions midway through the first overtime as he drove past a Navy defender out of the set and scored the game-winning goal. The rest belonged to the Princeton defense and Dearborn, who shut down Navy in the remaining time. That included a pair of saves from Dearborn in the closing seconds to seal the win for Princeton.
Tim Wenzlau and Drew Hoffenberg each scored three goals in the win, while Helou and Thomas Nelson scored twice. Wenzlau finished up a big weekend that saw him score 10 goals over three games. Hoffenberg added two assists and Wenzlau had a team-high four steals. Dearborn finished the game with a career-high 18 saves.
The win moved Princeton to the top of the CWPA Southern Division standings with a 5-2 league mark. Princeton is the only team with two losses in the league. Bucknell and Navy each have three to rank behind the Tigers. Princeton is now 14-7 overall. Three of Princeton's five league wins have come in overtime.
The Tigers play three times at home next week. Princeton completes its league schedule on Friday against George Washington, then hosts Fordham and Iona in crossover games on Saturday.
Princeton 2 2 3 2 - 1 0 - 10
Navy 4 0 3 2 - 0 0 - 9
Goals: Hoffenberg 3, Wenzlau 3, Helou 2, Nelson 2
Assists: Hoffenberg 2, Buchbinder, Butler, Nelson, Weber
Saves: Dearborn 18 (38:00)