CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Competing at Harvard University’s Blodgett Pool on the opening day of the 2022 Brown University Bruno Classic, the Engineers of Division III No. 6-ranked the Massachusetts Institute of Technology were unable to construct a win as the team dropped games to Wagner College, 17-9, and No. 17 Fordham University, 14-7.
MIT saw a pair of fourth-quarter rallies fall short versus the Seahawks and Rams as the Engineers of the Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) dropped a pair of season-opening contests to the pair of Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) New York-based institutions.
Taking on Wagner in the team’s season-opener, MIT was unable to keep pace with the Seahawks who pulled ahead 11-3 before a goal from junior Evan Kowal (South Pasadena, Calif.) ended the run.
Trailing 16-6 entering the final five minutes of play, the Engineers strung together three-straight goals, but the rally fell short as Wagner held on for the 17-9 win.
First-year Luke Apostolides (Greenwich, Conn.) led the way with three scores, all coming in the fourth quarter, for MIT. Sophomore Jack King (Los Altos, Calif.) keyed the Engineers with three assists, and sophomore Richard Yun (Irvine, Calif.) posted a team-best three steals.
Junior Colin Weaver (Huntington Beach, Calif.) finished with six saves and a steal in cage, while senior Conrad Oakes (Pasadena, Calif.) turned away five Wagner shots.
Facing the defending MAWPC Rams of Fordham, Geschke punched in a goal with 2:39 left in the first quarter to move the Engineers within a score at 3-2.
However, a 9-0 Rams’ run made it a 10-goal game (12-2) prior to the Engineers attempting to climb back into the contest.
First-year Adam Ivatorov (Rockaway, NY) ended the Fordham run with a goal at 2:22 in the third quarter, but the Rams added another goal at 1:41 to reclaim a 10-score margin.
Apostolides started a 4-0 Engineers run in the fourth to get MIT back to within single-digits at 13-7. The rally fell short, however, as another Rams goal at 1:21 sealed the 14-7 win.
Geschke led the Engineers with three goals and three steals versus Fordham.
In addition, Ivatorov finished with two scores and two steals to go along with solo markers by Apostolides and Kowal.
Weaver posted 10 saves in the contest and Oakes added 10 more stops to go along with an assist and steal.
Information courtesy the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Athletics Communications
