No. 12 Princeton Earns NWPC Road Split

Saturday, October 6

Cambridge, Mass.

12:00 PM

Princeton University

MIT

Photo by: Beverly Schaefer

October 06, 2018 | Men's Water Polo

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The No. 12 Princeton Tigers earned a split during their Northeast Water Polo Conference doubleheader today, defeating the MIT Engineers, 8-7, before falling to the No. 7 Harvard Crimson, 9-8.

No. 12 Princeton 8, MIT 7
After Alec Mendelsohn recorded the first goal of the game, MIT registered the next two tallies to take a 2-1 lead after eight minutes. Matt Payne and Logan MacDonell posted back-to-back goals to tie the contest at 3-all with four minutes to go in the first half. MIT took a 4-3 advantage into the break.

Mitchell Cooper's tally at the 4:01 mark of the third quarter set the matchup at 4-all, before Casey Conrad's goal, less than 60 seconds later, put the Tigers in front for the first time since the first frame. Cooper's second tally put Princeton ahead, 6-4, heading into the final stanza.

This time, it was MIT's turn to go on a run, tying the game at 6-all as the clock ticked under five minutes to go. Miles Cole provided the game-winner with 3:37 remaining before Mendelsohn's insurance tally came at the two-minute mark. MIT closed within one, but was held off the scoreboard for the final 32 seconds.

Stats:
Goals: Mendelsohn 2, Cooper 2, Cole 2, Payne, MacDonell,
Assists: Payne 3, Wilson 2, Cooper
Steals: Cooper, Wilson, Mendelsohn
Blocks: Wilson 2, Swart
Saves: Melosini 3, Motherway 8 (W)
Sprints: Wilson 2, Swart

No. 7 Harvard 9, No. 12 Princeton 8
Harvard's Grant Harvey's goal with three seconds to go in the first quarter tied the conference meetup at 2-all following eight minutes. The Crimson went on a run to begin the second quarter, scoring four straight goals before Payne's tally got the Tigers within three (6-3) at the intermission.

The Tigers got as close as two in the third frame, but the Crimson took a 8-5 lead as the fourth stanza got started. Back-to-back goals, 75 seconds apart, from Payne made it a one-goal affair, but a tally from Harvard Michael Del Mundo kept Princeton at bay. Wyatt Benson provided the Tigers with their seventh goal with 5:17 left, but the road unit could not find the equalizer.

Since the beginning of the 2016 season, Princeton and Harvard have played seven one-goal contests.

Head coach Dustin Litvak's squad wraps up the weekend tomorrow (Oct. 7) at Brown (10 a.m.). The game will be streamed on ESPN+.

Stats:
Goals: Payne 4, Benson 2, R. Wilson, Cooper
Assists: Payne 3, Maloney, Cooper, R. Wilson
Steals: R. Wilson 2, Wachtell, Swart, Benson, Payne, Cooper, Conrad
Blocks: Cooper, Conrad, Wachtell, R. Wilson
Saves: Melosini 2 (L), Motherway 9
Sprints: Wilson