WASHINGTON, Pa. — The Connecticut College men’s water polo team dropped its opening Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC)-West Region matches at Washington & Jefferson College’s Henry Natatorium as the Camels suffered setbacks versus Gannon University, 20-9, and Mercyhurst University, 18-12.
Versus Gannon, Connecticut College scored first courtesy senior Arturo Freitas (Weston, Fla.), but the lead was short lived, as Gannon answered back and ended the opening quarter on a 6-1 run. The Knights then broke the game open by outscoring the Camels, 8-1, in the second quarter en route to earning a double-digit win.
The Camels got strong efforts from sophomore Lucas Verrilli (Evanston, Ill.) and Freitas as both registered hat-tricks.
In the late game, Mercyhurst netted the opening three goals and led from wire-to-wire. Sophomore Mike Gertsik (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and freshman Sam Guy (Portland, Ore.) each scored to bring the Camels within one, but that was as close as they would come the rest of the way. The Lakers outscored their opponent by a 5-1 margin in the second quarter to give themselves more than enough insurance to come away with the win.
Guy finished with a team-high four points on two goals and two assists, while Freitas notched his second hat trick of the day. Senior Tim Beloborodov (Moscow, Russia), who was playing out of position, made a valiant effort between the posts by making eight saves.
Release courtesy Connecticut College Athletics Communications
