PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The Division III No. 6-ranked Massachusetts Institute of Technology water polo team split a pair of matches at Brown University’s Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Center. The Engineers picked up a decisive 16-8 win over Long Island University and saw a late comeback attempt against the host Bears fall short in a 15-10 setback.
Against Long Island, first-year Luke Apostolides (Greenwich, Conn.) opened the scoring for the Engineers with a goal at the 7:17 mark of the first quarter. Sophomore Richard Yun (Irvine, Calif.) posted back-to-back scores to give MIT a 3-0 lead and a goal from first-year Adam Ivatorov (Rockaway, N.Y.) made it 4-0. First-year Kush Khamesra (Portland, Ore.) wrapped up the first quarter scoring for MIT.
Quarters two and three were much more balanced with the Engineers outscoring the Sharks 6-5 to take an 11-6 lead into the final quarter. Senior Miller Geschke (Los Altos, Calif.) led MIT with three goals in the two quarters.
The Engineers posted five goals in the game’s final eight minutes of play with junior Evan Kowal (South Pasadena, Calif.) leading the way with two scores as MIT took the first game of the day, 16-8.
Geschke finished the game with a team-high four goals, five assists and six steals, while Kowal notched a hat trick and earned two ejections.
Senior Conrad Oakes (Pasadena, Calif.) made eight saves in net and added an assist and junior Colin Weaver (Huntington Beach, Calif.) made five saves and grabbed a steal.
Facing the host Bears, MIT held its own in the early going as the two teams played a close first quarter of action with Brown leading 3-2 after the first eight minutes of action. Ivatorov scored both Engineers’ goals in the quarter.
The Bears outscored MIT 9-4 in the next two quarters to build a 12-6 lead heading into the last eight minutes of action.
However, MIT outscored Brown in the fourth quarter, 4-3, to shrink its deficit prior to the final horn. Geschke notched a goal at 2:02 to make it a 14-9 game and Apostolides added a score with three seconds remaining as Brown held on for the 15-10 win.
Ivatorov led MIT with four goals in the contest. Geschke found the back of the net twice and added three assists and three steals.
Kowal finished the game with a goal, three assists, two steals and two ejections earned.
Release courtesy Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Athletics Communications
