PRINCETON, N.J. — The No. 20-ranked Princeton University Tigers clinched the second seed for the Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) Championship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Friday-Sunday, November 22-24, but defeating Iona College, 19-12, and St. Francis College Brooklyn, 13-10, at DeNunzio Pool.
The Tigers finished the regular season at 15-14 overall and 7-3 in the NWPC.
In the day’s opener, the Tigers roared ahead from a four-all tie after the opening quarter with five of the six goals in the second frame to take a 9-5 advantage into the break. The third quarter was even more impressive as head coach Dustin Litvak‘s squad ripped off eight goals led by 17-6 after 24 minutes.
Princeton’s 19 goals were the most it recorded since a 21-goal performance versus Salem University to open the 2017 season. 14 different players scored for the Tigers in the victory.
Prior to its game against St. Francis Brooklyn, the TIgers honored the Class of 2020 – Sean Duncan, Davis Wachtell, Kyle MacMilian, Logan MacDonell, Christopher Xi and Davis Wachtell. The group has won 74 games in its four years at Princeton, highlighted by the 2018 NWPC Championship.
After the Tigers began the contest with the first two goals, the Terriers rebounded to tie the game at two-all after eight minutes.
Even at three-all in the second quarter, the Tigers rattled off three straight tallies and held a 6-4 lead at halftime. Still trailing by two, St. Francis Brooklyn tied the conference meeting again at seven with 3:55 left in the third frame. Princeton countered with the next two goals and led 10-8 as the fourth stanza started.
The Terriers got as close as two with under two minutes remaining, but Mitchell Cooper’s sixth goal put the NWPC tilt out of reach and permitted the Tigers to lock-up the No. 2 seed for the NWPC Championship at MIT in two weeks.
Release courtesy Princeton University Athletics Communications
