CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — No. 11-ranked Harvard University men’s water polo fell to No. 11 Princeton University, 12-9, before taking down No. 20 St. Francis College Brooklyn, 20-5, in Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) competition.
The Crimson got out to a quick start versus Prineton, thanks to consecutive goals to open the contest from first-year Tyler Zarcu. Junior Gabe Putnam added another before the Tigers went on a 4-0 run to end the first quarter. First-year Andrej Basica opened the scoring in the second frame before junior Michael Sonsini scored to give the Crimson a 5-4 lead. Princeton would add two goals before the half and took a 6-5 lead into the break.
Basica once again tied the game up for the Crimson to open the second half, with his second goal of the contest. The Tigers would score three unanswered goals to make it a 9-6 game before sophomore Alexandru Bucur brought the Crimson back to within two, with 30 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
With Harvard trailing 9-7 in the fourth, junior goalie Noah Hodge made two huge saves to keep Harvard in the game, including his second five-meter penalty save of the game. Hodge would go on to score after joining the attack with Harvard down three late, as Princeton was able to see out the victory with an empty netter to make it a 12-9 final.
Hodge made 11 saves while scoring his second goal of the season.
In the field, Basica netted a hat trick to lead the Crimson. Zarcu totaled two goals to go along with an assist, steal and a block. Sonsini added to his team-lead in assists with three while also scoring a goal.
In game two, the Crimson had revenge on its minds after falling to St. Francis on the road by a 12-10 scores earlier this season.
Harvard started its barrage of goals with Putnam netting the first two of the contest. Junior Alex Tsotadze scored the next two, giving Harvard a 4-0 lead less than four minutes in. Sophomore Owen Hale followed with three straight goals of his own to give Harvard an 8-0 lead after one. Putnam would tally two within the last 90 seconds of the half, as Harvard went into the break with a 12-3 advantage.
Harvard again shutout the Terriers offense in the third quarter. A trio of Crimson first-years would get on the scoresheet in the period, including Andrej Basica, Zarcu and Alex James. James and Basica scored the lone Harvard goals in the fourth, as the Crimson saw out the 20-5 victory.
Tsotadze led the Crimson with five goals while adding an assist and steal. Hale totaled four goals, two assists, and two steals while blocking two shots. Junior Gabe Putnam netted four goals, two assists and two steals in the victory.
Hodge made eight saves on 11 shots faced to go along with an assist and steal.
Release courtesy Harvard University Athletics Communications
