PRINCETON, N.J. — The No. 11-ranked Princeton University men’s water polo team went 2-1 in a slate of three games at home in DeNunzio Pool. The Tigers started the day with an 18-14 non-conference loss to No. 5 Fordham University prior to upending Iona University, 16-5, and Long Island University, 20-7, in a pair of Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) showdowns.
Facing Fordham for the second time in 2025 following a 19–16 loss on September 27 in the Bronx, Princeton acquired a 4-3 lead on a goal from Taylor Bell before the Rams rallied back to knot the contest at five-all by the conclusion of the first quarter.
Fordham strung together three straight markers to put Princeton down before Adam Peocz found the back of the cage in an effort to stymie the Rams. Peocz scored with under a minute left in the second to cut the Rams’ lead to four going into the halftime break.
The lead for the Rams ballooned to seven goals in the third quarter, but back to back tallies from Bell and Enrique Nuno set the scoreboard at 15-10 going into the final quarter.
Princeton scored four straight but the lead was too much for the Tigers to overcome as they fell 18-14.
Bell, Nuno and Peocz finished with hat-tricks in the game, while Logan McCarroll (two), Finn LeSieur (two) and Otto Stothart also dented the twine for the Orange & Black.
Ready to bounce back from the morning game, the Tigers came out firing against the Iona Gaels. Nuno got the scoring started as Princeton went on a 6-0 run in the first quarter to support a shutout frame by netminder Kristóf Kovács.
Iona got on the board for its first tally to begin the second, but JP Ohl and Gavin Appeldorn made it an 8-1 game.
The Gaels scored four in the second quarter, but that was the most damage Iona could do in the game. Princeton poured in six second half goals while holding the Gaels to just one score in the fourth quarter to secure a 16-5 conference victory.
Appeldorn led the scoring with a hat trick, while Luke Johnston (two), Nuno (two), William Swart (two), Bell (two), Peocz, Tas Palcza, Ohl, Rees Barnes and McCarroll also put away shots.
Kovács had 14 saves.
After the team celebrated its class of 2026, the Tigers got to work against the LIU Sharks. Appeldorn scored the first of the contest as Princeton went on another scoring run, this time with four goals to open the matchup.
LIU flushed one shot in the first quarter before a three goal second quarter from Bell allowed Princeton to enter halftime clutching a 9-4 lead.
The Tigers scored seven goals from six different players in the third quarter and capped it off with a 4-0 run in the fourth quarter to pick up a 20-7 win.
Bell and Nuno each had a hat trick in the contest and Kovács racked up 13 saves as he held opponents to single digit scoring in back to back games.
LeSieur (two), Peocz (two), Swart (two), McCarroll (two), Bhavan Aulakh, Johnston, Appeldorn, Palcza, Ohl and Andrew Tu accounted for the remainder of Princeton’s offense in the victory.
Information courtesy Princeton University Athletics Communications
