BALTIMORE, Md. — The No. 20-ranked United States Naval Academy water polo team posted a 19-14 Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) victory over host/Division III No. 8 Johns Hopkins University at the Newton White Athletic Center – Natatorium. The Midshipmen never trailed, outscoring the Blue Jays, 8-0, in the first quarter as the team rolled to victory and clinched the No. 2 seed for the MAWPC Championship at Bucknell University on Friday-Sunday, November 17-19.
“Tonight was a good game,” said head coach Luis Nicolao. “We came in and jumped out to a big lead. We were able to clear the bench and get everyone a chance to get into the game. Our depth was able to help us rest some guys, which is good with two games tomorrow. Hopkins always plays tough and were able to make some plays against us; but I like the way our team continued to battle and come away with the win.”
The Mids were able to play every healthy player on the roster.
13 different Midshipmen scored goals in the game with four players finishing with multiple scores. Michael Heller and Hayden Kahn found the back of the net three times apiece, while Connor Cashman and Nathan Duchez chipped in two scores each. Rory Begin, Kiefer Black, Sam Collingwood, Jacques Dutton, Merle Richman, Alejandro Schmidt-Corujo, Luka Sekulic, William True and Billy Zech were each able to find the back of the net.
The Navy offense registered 15 assists on its 19 goals. Ivan Pang led the team with three assists, while Begin and Richman each added a pair of helpers. Black, Collingwood, Duchez, Kahn, Sekulic, along with Tommy McKnew, Spencer Shelley and Henry Williams chipped in assists.
Defensively, the Midshipmen used four goalies with each goalkeeper working a quarter between the posts. The quartet tallied 15 saves, while the Mids defense finished the game with 18 steals. Caden Capobianco opened the game in cage, finishing with five saves, one steal and no goals allowed. He gave way to fellow senior Owen Gurich who worked the second quarter with three stops and a pair of takeaways. Shaan Sandhoo notched four saves and a steal in the third quarter, while Francis Hendrickson finished the final quarter with three saves and a steal. Heller led the team with three steals while Richman added multiple takeaways.
Navy started the game with eight straight goals to take an 8-0 lead through the first quarter. Kahn netted back-to-back goals to jump out to an early 2-0 lead. Six Mids – Black, Heller, Cashman, Sekulic, Zech and Duchez – followed with scores to push the advantage to eight goals.
In the second quarter, Heller continued the scoring, building the lead to 9-0. Following a Johns Hopkins’ goal, Heller completed his first-half hat trick with his third marker. The Blue Jays talied consecutive goals, but Richman ended the first half with a score to keep the Navy advantage at eight, 11-3.
Johns Hopkins began the second half with consecutive scores, but Collingwood ended the mini-run with a goal. The home team posted a score, but Cashman responded with a goal. Three straight by Hopkins trimmed the Mids’ lead to 13-9, but Duchez and Begin countered with scores to send the game into the final eight minutes with Navy in front, 15-9.
In the fourth quarter, JHU cut the Navy lead to five, but Kahn buried a goal in the back of the net to give the senior a hat trick. Dutton and Schmidt-Corujo countered a pair of goals by the home team. True put the Midshipmen in front 19-12 with 69 seconds remaining. Johns Hopkins was able to score a pair of goals in the final minute, but Navy held on for the five-goal win.
Release courtesy United States Naval Academy Athletics Communications
