PRINCETON, N.J. — The No. 12-ranked Princeton University men’s water polo team had its long awaited return home to DeNunzio Natatorium pay off as the Tigers turned back No. 18 Brown University, 17-12, and Division III No. 8 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 20-10.
Looking to finally have his name atop the all-time program assists record list, JP Ohl tallied five assists on the day to claim the record.
Facing MIT in a morning meeting, the Tigers got off to a quick lead with three unanswered goals and six total in the first quarter.
Once the floodgates opened, the Engineers were unable to respond. Enrique Nuño scored a first half hat trick to help lead Princeton to a 10-4 lead at halftime.
Kristóf Kovács and the defense held MIT to just two goals in each quarter to keep the Engineers at bay.
Nuño had the hot hand and added two more goals to the stat sheet for a new career high of five to lead the scoring for the Tigers as Princeton doubled up MIT with 10 goals in each half.
Ohl chipped away at the program assists record, racking up three helpers to tie it in game one of the day.
Nuño (five), Logan McCarroll (three), Gavin Appeldorn (two), Finn LeSieur (two), Ádám Peocz (two) and William Swart (two) posted multi-goal games, while Rees Barnes, Luka Franulovic, Tas Palcza and Tigran Sennett each chipped in solo markers.
Kovács finished with nine saves.
Taking on Brown, Princeton fell behind early as the Bears attacked at the first whistle for three goals to start the contest.
Peocz rallied the troops and scored three goals of his own in the first quarter to knot things up.
The Bears scored to retake the lead but that would not deter the Tigers.
Coming into the next quarter, Princeton won the opening sprint and immediately capitalized on remaining exclusion time to even the score once again. The teams traded goals until it was tied at seven-all.
Still looking for one last assist to break the program record, Ohl sent an entry pass over the opposing defenders to Luka Franulovic who slammed home the goal for the lead.
Ohl’s 221st assist made him the program’s new all-time assist leader, passing Ryan Wilson ’19.
After finally taking the lead with 14 seconds to spare before the halftime break, the Tigers never relinquished it.
Appeldorn opened the scoring in the third frame, before Ohl added back to back tallies to give Princeton its largest lead of the contest.
Princeton had six different goal scorers in the second half to help close the door on Brown. Kovács gave up just one score in the third quarter to help the Tigers keep the offense going in the win.
Peocz (four), Taylor Bell (three), Appeldorn (two), Franulovic (two) and Ohl (two) combined for 13 of Princeton’s goals with Luke Johnston, LeSieur, Nuño and Palcza accoungint for the remaining four tallies in support of a seven save performance by Kovács.
Information courtesy Princeton University Athletics Communications
