PRINCETON, N.J. — The No. 16-ranked Harvard University men’s water polo team came up short by falling to No. 14 California Baptist University, 18-13, and No. 19 the United States Naval Academy, 13-12, at the 2025 Princeton Invitational hosted by Princeton University at DeNunzio Pool.
Dean Strauser, Lukas Peabody and Vilas Sogaard-Srikrishnan each tallied five goals on the day for the Crimson, with Strauser also adding six assists as Harvard falls to 4-3 on the season.
Seven different Harvard athletes scored in the loss to Cal Baptist, led by Peabody and Sogaard-Srikrishnan who combined for half of Harvard’s offense with hat-tricks. Peabody also contributed an assist.
Mason Hunt and Strauser each tallied a pair of goals, with Strauser adding six assists and Hunt dishing out three more.
Felix Pal and Jack Burghardt both scored, while Jacob Tsotdaze added a goal and an assist.
Both Harvard goalies saw action in the cage with Oliver Price making three saves and Tanner Furtak accounting for a pair.
In the late game, another seven Crimson found the back of the net in a one-goal loss to Navy.
Strauser notched a hat trick, finishing the day with five goals.
Peabody and Sogaard-Srikrishnan each scored twice, finishing Saturday with five apiece.
Tyler Hogan netted two goals, while Burghardt recorded a goal, two assists and drew five knockouts.
Pal also netted another goal on the day and added two assists to accompany a solo tally by Hunt.
Tsotdaze added three assists to support an eight-save effort by Price.
The loss snaps a five-game winning streak by Harvard versus Navy dating back to a 15-10 victory by the Midshipmen at home in Annapolis, Md., during the quarterfinals of the 2014 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Eastern Championship on November 21, 2014. Further, the Crimson held an 8-1 record against the Midshipmen since the 2011 season and fall to 9-28 facing Navy dating back to the programs’ inaugural meeting on September 24, 1983 (a 9-8 Navy win).
Information courtesy Harvard University Athletics Communications
