REDLANDS, Calif. – The MIT water polo team fell just short of becoming the first team from the East Coast to play in the USA Water Polo DIII Collegiate National Championship as Chapman used a late fourth quarter spurt to skirt by the Engineers, 12-11 and earn a birth in the Finals.
The Engineers, the only team to play in all five Championships will take on Augustana in the third-place match tomorrow morning.
THE BASICS:
- Scores: Chapman 12, MIT 11
- Records: MIT (9-17 Overall), Chapman (16-14)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Sophomore Rick Lundh (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.) gave MIT an early lead on a penalty shot goal at 7:03. Chapman responded with back-to-back scores, but goals from sophomore William Ewald (Greenwich, Conn.) and Andras Beleznay (Delray Beach, Fla.) put the Engineers back in front 3-2. Senior Nate Randolph (Los Altos, Calif.) tied the match with 34 seconds left in the first quarter.
- After a Chapman goal to open the second, MIT scored the next four goals as the Engineers got two goals each from Ewald and sophomore Kieran Kearns (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.) to pull ahead 7-4. The Panthers used a 3-0 run to tie the match again. Sophomore Kunal Rajadhyax (Vernon Hills, Ill.) scored on the powerplay at 5:31 to put MIT back in the lead, but once again Chapman responded, as a goal from Randolph gave them a 9-8 lead.
- Back-to-back scores from Rajadhyax and Lundh gave MIT a 10-9 lead heading into the final eight minutes of play.
- Junior Nathan Jones (Villa Park, Calif.) tied the game at ten at 5:48, but junior Adam Ivatorov (Rockaway, N.Y.) quickly put MIT back in front. Chapman scored the next two, as Randolph scored the decisive goal at 1:19.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Ewald led the team with three goals while Kearns, Rajadhyax, and Lundh scored two.
- Kearns had a team-high four steals with Ewald grabbing three.
- Rajadhyax and first year Derek Schaffer (Redondo Beach, Calif.) had two assists in the match.
- First year Joshua Woren (Aurora, Colo.) finished with two steals and seven saves.
- Randolph led Chapman with five goals.
UP NEXT:
- In a rematch of last year's third-place match, MIT will take on Augustana on Sunday, December 8 at 10:30 AM PT/1:30 PM ET.
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