BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — Goalkeeper Colin Weaver (Sr., Huntington Beach, Calif./Mater Dei) of Division III No. 5-ranked the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) made 46 saves with four steals and 18 goals allowed to earn tournament Most Valuable Player honors as the Engineers posed a 3-0 record to claim the 2023 Division III Eastern Championship at home in the Zesiger Center Pool. For his award-winning performance, the Engineers’ netminder adds another honor as the October 23 Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) Defensive Player of the Week.
The award marks the sixth NWPC Defensive Player of the Week laurel for Weaver as he previously earned recognition in 2021 (October 25, December 6), 2022 (September 5, October 17) and 2023 (September 4).
He opened the weekend on Saturday, October 21, by stopping 17 shots in a 22-7 defeat of Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) member prior to turning aside 15 scoring tries and snagging four steals in topping MPSF school Penn State Behrend by a 23-3 count.
Facing Division III No. 8 Johns Hopkins University on Sunday, October 22, he made 14 saves and kept the Blue Jays off the scoreboard in the fourth quarter as MIT rallied for a 12-8 title game win.
In the history of the Division III Eastern tournament, Hopkins holds 20 Division III crowns (1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023) in 30 title games with losses in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2023. Hopkins did not compete in two Division III Championships as the Blue Jays’ missed the championship game in 2007 and 2016 by not attending the event.
MIT is now a 10-time champion (1991, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2023) as the duo of the Blue Jays and Engineers rate as the only active Division III programs to hold a Division III Eastern crown. Overall, former varsity team Washington & Lee University defeated Johns Hopkins in 1992 and 1993 in the second and third Division III tournaments for the only titles not held by either the Blue Jays or Engineers.
October 23 Northeast Water Polo Conference Defensive Player of the Week Honor Roll: Joe Gallagher (Brown University); Oliver Price (Harvard University); West Temkin (Princeton University)
