PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Goalie Billy Motherway (Fr., Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei) made 14 saves to claim Player of the Game honors as No. 18-ranked Princeton University used a 4-2 scoring advantage in the third quarter to pull away from No. 12 Harvard University to build a three-goal lead and hold on for a 12-10 defeat of the Crimson in the 2018 Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) Championship hosted by Brown University at the Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Center.
Princeton (19-10, 6-4 NWPC) becomes the second NWPC Champion in three years as the title snaps a two-year reign by Harvard (22-8, 9-1 NWPC) following back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017.
Harvard, which best Brown by an 11-7 score at Princeton’s DeNunzio Pool to capture the 2016 title prior to putting away Princeton by a 12-11 count in sudden death overtime at home in Blodgett Poll to take the 2017 crown, led early and fell behind by halftime as the Tigers pulled away in the second half for the win.
The Crimson broke the ice in the game as Bruno Snow (So., Covina, Calif./Claremont) stuffed in a shot with 5:50 left in the first quarter for a 1-0 lead. Princeton responded at 1:44 as Alec Mendelsohn (So., Studio City, Calif./Harvard-Westlake School) juked his defender and wailed home a shot at 1:44 to knot the score at one-all.
Neither team scored again until the 3:44 mark of the second quarter when the Crimson’s Dennis Blyashov (So., Carlsbad, Calif./Cathedral Catholic) converted on a man-up chance to provide Harvard a 2-1.
The margin marked the last time Harvard led in the game as Miles Cole (So., Santa Barbara, Calif./San Marcos) balanced the scoreboard at 3:13 by cashing in on a six-on-five opportunity prior to lining in a go-ahead score with both teams at even-strength to make it 3-2 with 1:45 remaining in the first half.
Harvard pulled even at three-all 15 seconds later via a power-play strike by Nathan Ondracek (Sr., Plano, Texas/St. Mark’s School of Texas), but the Tigers reclaimed the lead prior to the halftime horn as Casey Conrad (So., Lafayette, Calif./Acalanes) curled in a shot with one second left in the second quarter for a 4-3 margin at intermission.
Princeton began to pull away in the dawning moments of the second half as Michael Swart (Sr., Atherton, Calif./Sacred Heart Prep) and Ryan Wilson (Sr., Pacific Palisades, Calif./Loyola) stung the Crimson with natural tallies at 7:39 and 6:19, respectively, to double-up Harvard, 6-3.
Ondracek snapped Princeton’s momentum at 5:55 with an even-strength strike of his own, but Wilson (3:02) and Conrad (2:18) inflated the lead to 8-4.
Harvard chipped a score off its deficit prior to the conclusion of the third quarter as Blyashov found the back of the cage with 1:17 on the clock to inch within 8-5.
Princeton returned the spread to four at 9-5 less than two minutes into the fourth quarter as Matt Payne (Sr., Laguna Beach, Calif./Mater Dei) launched in a five-meter penalty shot with 6:07 remaining in regulation.
Blyashov answered for the Crimson at 5:50 (9-6), Conrad connected on a rebuttal at 5:23 (10-6), Ondracek swished a counterpoint at 4:50 (10-7) and Wilson whipped in another score at 3:37 (11-7) as the lead swayed from four-to-three-to-four-to-three-four over a two minute stretch.
The pattern continued as Jackson Enright (So., San Mateo, Calif./Sacred Heart Prep) moved Harvard back to within three at 11-8, but Mendelsohn drove in a man-up opportunity with 2:44 remaining to make it 12-8.
Needing instant offense to overcome the Tigers’ margin and potentially force overtime, Harvard hurried down the tank and put away even-strength bids at 2:30 by Blyashov and 1:24 by 2018 Northeast Water Polo Conference Most Valuable Player Austin Sechrest (Jr., Mission Viejo, Calif./Capistrano Valley) to inch within a pair at 12-10.
However, the clock combined with the Princeton defense anchored by Motherway did the rest as the Tigers held Harvard off the board over the remaining 80 plus seconds to close out the win and earn a date to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship.
For Princeton, Wilson and tournament Most Valuable Player Conrad led the way with three goals. Mendelsohn and Cole chipped in pairs, while Payne and Swart notched solo tallies.
Due to the format of the NCAA Championship, the Tigers are likely to host an NCAA play-in game against the victor of the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC Championship) – either George Washington University or No. 15 Bucknell University – on Saturday, November 24, with the play-in game champion earning a spot in an NCAA semifinal later in the week.
On the other end of the tank, Harvard received four goals from Blyashov and three form Ondracek. Sechrest, Snos and Enright each deposited single scores in support of a 12 save effort by goalie Noah Hodge (Fr., San Juan Capistrano, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic).
Following the conclusion of the tournament and the presentation of the MVP (Conrad), Rookie (Motherway) and Coach (Princeton’s Dusty Litvak) of the Tournament, the All-Tournament team was announced:
2018 Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) Championship All-Tournament Team
Most Valuable Player: Casey Conrad (Princeton University)
Rookie of the Tournament: Bill Motherway (Princeton University)
Coach of the Tournament: Dustin Litvak (Princeton University)
First Team:
Billy Motherway – Goalie (Princeton University)
Matt Payne (Princeton University)
Ryan Wilson (Princeton University)
Casey Conrad (Princeton University)
Dennis Blyashov (Harvard University)
Austin Sechrest (Harvard University)
Will Lapkin (St. Francis College Brooklyn)
Second Team:
Noah Hodge – Goalie (Harvard University)
Charlie Owens (Harvard University)
Michael Swart (Princeton University)
Bogdan Kostic (St. Francis College Brooklyn)
Travis Bouscaren (Brown University)
Miller Geschke (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
Patrick Hudak (Iona College)
| 1st Q | 2nd Q | 3rd Q | 4th Q | – | FINAL | |
| Princeton University | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | – | 12 |
| Harvard University | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | – | 10 |
| Harvard Goals: | Alex Tsotadze (4); Nathan Ondraeck (3); Austin Sechrest; Jackson Enright; Bruno Snow | |||||
| Princeton Goals: | Casey Conrad (3); Ryan Wilson (3); Alec Mendelsohn (2); Mile Cole (2); Matt Payne; Michael Swart | |||||
| Saves: | Harvard – Noah Hodge (12) ; Princeton – Billy Motherway (14) | |||||
| Exclusions: | Harvard – 12 ; Princeton – 9 | |||||
| Advantage Opportunities: | Harvard – 2-for-9 ; Princeton – 3-for-12 | |||||
| Sprints: | Harvard – 2-for- 4 (1st, 2nd) ; Princeton – 2-for-4 (3rd, 4th) | |||||
| Cards/Misconducts: | YC – Harvard (Noah Hodge, 1:44 left in 1st Q) | |||||
| Officials: | Scott Voltz, Michael Goldenberg | |||||
Harvard University’s Dennis Blyashov (#13)
Princeton University’s Keller Maloney (#16)
Princeton University’s Dusty Litvak & the Princeton University bench react to a call
Princeton University’s Matt Payne shoots against Harvard University
Princeton University’s Mitchell Cooper (#18) drops off a pass as Harvard University’s Austin Sechrest (#5) defends
Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Hall of Fame member/Coordinator of Officials/former Brown University head coach Ed Reed presents the championship plaque to Princeton University
Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Hall of Fame member/Coordinator of Officials/former Brown University head coach Ed Reed congratulates Princeton University head coach Dusty Litvak on winning the championship & Coach of the Tournament
2018 Northeast Water Polo Conference Champion – Princeton University
