Princeton University
Cal Lutheran
Players Mentioned
No. 11 Men's Water Polo Opens 2015 Season With Wins Over Cal Lutheran, Iona
September 05, 2015 | Men's Water Polo
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The 11th-ranked Princeton University water polo team opened its 2015 season with a pair of decisive victories over Cal Lutheran and Iona. The Tigers opened the day with an 18-2 win over Cal Lutheran before dispatching of Iona, 20-3.
PRINCETON 18, CAL LUTHERAN 2
Racing out to an early lead, Princeton netted seven goals in the first eight minutes. Tacking on five more scores in the second quarter, the Tigers carried a 12-0 advantage into the half. Despite allowing a pair of goals in the third period, Princeton outscored Iona 6-2 in the second half en route to a 16-goal margin of victory.
Senior co-captain Thomas Nelson matched a career-high with six goals, while also adding four assists and four steals. Jordan Colina, Jovan Jeremic, Matt Payne, and Eric Bowen each recorded a pair of scores, while Bret Hinrichs, Ryan Wilson, Michael Swart, and Ryan Hammarskjold also got on the board.
Colina also had three steals and a pair of assists, while Swart finished 3-0 on sprints. Sophomore netminder Vojislav Mitrovic was sharp in his first start of the season, recording seven saves in the first half. In his first collegiate action, freshman goalkeeper Ryan Melosini posted five saves after taking over following the intermission.
PRINCETON 20, IONA 3
The 11th-ranked Princeton University men's water polo team improved to 2-0 on the season with a 20-3 victory over Iona.
Building a 7-1 lead over the first eight minutes, the Tigers outscored the Gaels 7-0 in the second period to take a 14-1 edge into the intermission. After holding a 5-1 scoring margin in the third, Princeton battled Iona to a 1-1 draw in the final period to close out a 20-3 victory.
Jordan Colina paced the Tigers with four goals on five shots, while freshman Matt Payne had a goal and four assists. Eric Bowen and rookie Michael Swart each posted a hat-trick, with the duo also combining for three steals. Bradley Wachtell had two goals and two steals, while senior co-captain Thomas Nelson finished with two goals and a pair of helpers.
Turning in another solid performance, Vojislav Mitrovic finished with six saves. Ryan Melosini recorded four saves in his second collegiate showing.