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WHITTIER, Calif. — The fourth-seeded/Division III No. 7-ranked Engineers of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology avenged a 16-12 loss in the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division III Eastern Championship to second-seeded/Division III No. 5 Johns Hopkins University by defeating the Blue Jays, 20-13, in the Third Place game at the inaugural/2019 Division III Collegiate Water Polo National Championship sponsored by USA Water Polo and hosted by Whittier College at the Slade Aquatics Center.

At the conclusion of the tournament, MIT seniors Clyde Huibregtse (New York, N.Y.) and Hayden Niederreiter (Visalia, Calif.) were named to the inaugural Division III National Championship All-Tournament Team.

MIT controlled the game right from the start as the Engineers posted seven goals over the opening eight minutes of play. Christian Schillinger (Orinda, Calif.) and Huibregtse both registered hat-tricks in the opening quarter, while Sawyer Koetters (Santa Monica, Calif.) added a goal for the 7-3 lead through one.

The middle quarters were played evenly between MIT and Johns Hopkins as the Blue Jays outscored the Engineers by a slim 7-6 margin. MIT headed to the final stanza with a 13-10 lead.

In the fourth quarter, MIT once again found its offense as the Engineers posted seven more goals prior to the final buzzer. Over the final eight minutes, MIT received two goals from both Schillinger and Pat Stefanou (Old Greenwich, Conn.), while Huibregtse registered his seventh of the game marking a new single match career high for the senior.

Seven goals for Huibregtse not only marked a career-high, but the second most goals in a game in program history. The last time a student-athlete scored seven goals in a game was in 2015 and it happened twice. Kale Rogers posted seven goals against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges and Ory Tasman scored seven against Iona College a few weeks later.

Schillinger, who added a career-high five goals in today’s victory, ended the season with a career-high 29 goals and a career-high 18 assists.

As a team MIT totaled 312 goals this year, the fourth most in school history. Miller Geschke (Los Altos, Calif.), who led the MIT offense all season long ended the year with 82 goals, which ranks second most in program history only behind Tasman, who posted 105 in 2014.

Defensively, Niederreiter made 12 saves today and he ends his career with a total of 555, which is third most in program history. His 212 saves this season not only marked a new career-high for the senior, but it is seventh most in a season for the Engineers.

Twelve wins for MIT in 2019 is also the most for the Engineers since the 2015 season.

Hopkins falls to 30-12 all-time against MIT, with neither team winning back-to-back games since 2015.

Finn Banks (Portola Vally, Calif.) led the Blue Jays with six points (three goals, three assists) in his final collegiate game. With his first assist of the morning, he broke the program’s single-season assist record and finished the year with 71. He also totaled 141 points (70g, 71a) – the second most in school history. Banks was named to the All-Tournament Team with eight points (3g, 5a) in the two games.

Banks finishes his career ranked in the top-10 in school history in points (349), goals (200), assists (145) and ejections drawn (133). He is just the seventh player in program history with 300 points and 200 goals in his career.

Sullivan scored a team-best four goals and added an assist and three ejections drawn. Junior Jake Pearson (Key Biscayne, Fla.) tied his career high with three assists while also grabbing three steals. Kunwar scored twice and drew two ejections. Junior Max Fleming (Orinda, Calif.) made nine saves and handed out an assist in the goal.

Release courtesy Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Athletics Communications & information provided by Johns Hopkins University Athletics Communications


Johns Hopkins University – 2019 Division III Collegiate Water Polo National Championship – Fourth Place

Massachusetts Institute of Technology – 2019 Division III Collegiate Water Polo National Championship – Third Place

Collegiate Water Polo Association