PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The Division III No. 8-ranked Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) water polo team held off a late fourth-quarter rally from Division III No. 9 Johns Hopkins University to take a 14-12 win. The Engineers fell later in the day to host/No. 19 Brown University, 18-8.
MIT jumped out to a 3-0 lead with goals from juniors Adam Ivatorov (Rockaway, N.Y.) and Kush Khamesra (Portland, Ore.), and sophomore William Ewald (Greenwich, Conn.) versus Johns Hopkins. After a JHU score, sophomore Kunal Rajadhyax (Vernon Hills, Ill.) converted on his penalty shot chance to give the Engineers a 4-1 lead after one quarter.
Hopkins cut the lead to two with a goal from Phillip Long, but MIT scored the next four goals, including two more from Rajadhyax to take a 9-3 lead into the break.
Sophomore Rick Lundh (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.) opened the scoring in the third to make it a 10-3 MIT lead but a goal from Owen Bartlett stopped the Engineers scoring run. Dado Soares cut the Engineers’ lead to six heading into the fourth quarter.
The Jays rallied scoring six goals in the final eight minutes. Alec Baker got the Blue Jays to within two at 13-11, but Ivatorov scored to make it 14-11 as MIT held on for the win.
Ivatorov led MIT with four goals, while Rajadhyax added three goals and a team-high three assists. Khamesra, Lundh and sophomore Jackson Kay (Palo Alto, Calif.) all finished with two goals.
Sophomore Kieran Kearns (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.) led the way with three steals.
First year Armaan Gill (Long Grove, Ill.) turned away 14 shots in goal.
Taking on the host Bears, Brown took a 5-1 lead after one with Ivatorov scoring the lone goal for MIT.
Lundh and Ivatorov cut the Bears’ lead to 5-3 in the second, but Brown scored the final two goals of the quarter to take a 7-3 lead.
Ewald scored to open the third, but Brown went on a 5-0 run to go up 12-4. Kay stopped the Brown run and Ivatorov added another goal to make it a 12-6 match.
Brown scored four straight to pull ahead 16-6 before a penalty shot goal from Lundh made it a 17-7 contest. First year Avi Narula (Atlanta, Ga.) scored the final goal of the day for the Engineers.
Ivatorov finished with three goals while Lundh added two. Ivatorov leads the team with 35 goals this season.
Gill made four saves in cage.
Kearns grabbed three more steals to bring his season total to 19.
Release courtesy Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Athletics Communications
