CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The Division III No. 10-ranked Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) water polo team dropped two Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) at home in the Zesiger Center Pool as the Engineers fell to No. 18 Harvard University, 14-7, and No. 20 Brown University, 14-10.
Facing Harvard in the morning, Caspar Lightner scored off the counter to give MIT an early 1-0 lead. The Crimson used a 3-0 run to take the lead, but Lightner scored his second of the quarter to make it a one-goal game.
Harvard scored four unanswered to start the second before Andras Beleznayposted a tally to make it 7-3 heading into the break.
The Crimson scored all five goals in the third to build up a 12-3 advantage.
Kunal Rajadhyax broke the Harvard run with a goal at 5:59, but Harvard scored at the five minute mark to bring the score to 13-4. Rick Lundh scored back-to-back penalty goals to cut the Crimson lead to 13-6 and Rajadhyax tallied his second of the match to trim the Harvard advantage to 13-7.
Harvard tacked on one more goal to account for the 14-7 final.
Lightner and Rajadhyax led MIT with two goals each, while Joshua Woren finished with two steals and six saves.
In the afternoon contest versus Brown, Lightner tied the match at two-all in the first quarter before the Bears scored back-to-back goals to regain the lead. Lightner tallied a first quarter hat trick to bring the Engineers to within one at the end of the contest’s opening eight minutes.
The Bears outscored MIT 3-1 in the second quarter to take a 7-4 lead into the break.
MIT began the comeback attempt in the third quarter. Adam Ivatorov scored on a six on five to make it a two-goal game. After a Brown goal, Lundh found the back of the net at 6:14 to once again get the Engineers within two. Lightner buried a shot at 4:52 to make it a one goal game. The Bears scored with 31 seconds remaining in the quarter to take a 9-7 lead into the final eight minutes of play.
A Brown goal made it 10-7, but Ivatorov and Lightner scored to yet again make it a one-goal contest. The Bears got a goal back at 4:26, but Lightner deposited another marker to bring MIT back to within one with 3:56 remaining. However, Brown went on a 3-0 run to secure a 14-10 win.
Lightner recorded his third six-goal game of the season and now leads the team with 51 goals.
Ivatorov added two goals to bring his season total to 50, while Derek Schaffer led the team with four assists and two steals.
Woren made eight stops in goal.
Information courtesy Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Athletics Communications
