PRINCETON, N.J. — Roko Pozaric of No. 10-ranked/host Princeton University netted a match-high four goals, while Pierce Maloney scored three as the Tigers topped the No. 16 Rams of Fordham University, 17-8, in the opening round of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Men’s Water Polo Championship hosted at DeNunzio Pool.
Fordham opened with a 1-0 lead three minutes into the contest, as Hans Zdolsek scored to the right side of the net.
Following back-to-back markers by Princeton, Zdolsek tied the game at two with an man-advantage marker with 3:14 left in the first quarter. The Tigers though scored four times over the final 1:45 of the period to end with a 6-3 lead.
The Tigers and Rams played even in the second quarter with Zdolsek and Gabriel Melillo netting goals for Fordham, leaving the game at 8-5 at halftime.
Princeton then went off for seven goals in the third quarter to extend the lead to 15-6, eventually winning the match, 17-8.
For Fordham, Zdolsek led the Rams with three goals and an assist, while Melillo had two goals and a steal. Lucas Nieto Jasny also added two goals and an assist with Sebastian Zapatero getting the final tally for the Rams. In net, Thomas Lercari made seven saves for the Rams.
Princeton, which claims the program’s first NCAA victory since 2011, will take on No. 1 the University of California-Los Angeles on December 2 at 6:00 p.m. Eastern (3:00 p.m. Pacific) in the First Round of the NCAA Championship at UCLA’s Spieker Aquatics Center.
For the Tigers, Pozaric led the way with four goals, while Pierce Maloney tacked on three tallies. Keller Maloney, Wyatt Benson and Mitchell Cooper all chipped in pairs with Joan Coloma, Yurian Quinones, Isaac Rotenberg and Gavin Molloy each finding the back of the cage once. Billy Motherway earned the win in cage with nine saves.
Information courtesy Fordham University & Princeton University Athletics Communications
