LOS ANGELES/MALIBU, Calif. — The No. 13-ranked Princeton University men’s water polo team a pair of contests as the Tigers fell to No. 20 Loyola Marymount University, 12-8, and No. 7 Pepperdine University, 16-8, during Princeton’s West Coast trip.
Facing Loyola Marymount, Princeton registered the first goal of the game, but the Lions kept the road squad scoreless for the next 10 minutes of game action, securing a 5-1 lead during that stretch. The Tigers went into the intermission trailing, 5-2.
The two teams exchanged goals to start the second half as LMU held a 7-4 lead with 3:28 remaining. A goal from Loyola Marymount’s Blazo Mitrovic gave the home team an 8-4 lead as the fourth quarter started.
LMU pushed its largest lead of the contest, 12-5, with 4:21 left. The Tigers recorded three straight goals to close within four as the clock ticked under two minutes. Princeton could not get any closer as the Lions held on for the win.
In the late game versus Pepperdine, the Waves started quickly, scoring the first three tallies before Alec Mendelsohn got the Tigers on the board at the 2:29 mark of the first quarter. A goal from Balazs Kosa with six seconds to go gave the Waves a 5-2 advantage after eight minutes. Each team scored a goal in the second stanza as Pepperdine held a 6-3 lead at the break.
In the third quarter, the Tigers found themselves, down by three, 9-6, four minutes in, but registered two consecutive goals to close within one (9-8) with 92 seconds to go. Sean Ferrari’s tally kept Princeton at bay as the home unit took a 10-8 advantage into the final frame.
Pepperdine snagged six goals in the fourth quarter while Princeton did not score, leading to the Waves’ 16-8 victory.
Release courtesy Princeton University Athletics Communications
