Providence, R.I. – The MIT Water Polo team opened its season with a 16-2 win over Austin College to give
Alyssa Diacono her first win as head coach, however, the Engineers could not hold off a late Air Force rally as the Falcons defeated MIT 14-13 on the opening day of the Bruno Classic.
THE BASICS:
- Scores: MIT 16, Austin 2; Air Force 14, MIT 13
- Records: MIT (1-1 Overall), Austin (0-2 Overall), Air Force (2-0 Overall)
HOW IT HAPPENED vs. AUSTIN:
- Junior Adam Ivatorov (Rockaway, N.Y.) scored the first three goals of the match including a powerplay goal for the first MIT goal of the day. Sophomores Rick Lundh (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.), William Ewald (Greenwich, Conn.), and Kieran Kearns (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.) scored the other goals for the Engineers in the first quarter.
- Sophomore Matthew Pryce (Johannesburg, South Africa) put MIT up 7-0 before Adrian Halberg (New York, N.Y.) got the 'Roos on the board. The Engineers tallied three more goals to take a 10-1 lead into the break.
- Sophomore Kunal Rajadhyax (Vernon Hills, Ill.) scored the lone goal for MIT in the third and Aidan Wade (Flower Mound, Texas) found the back of the net for Austin to make it an 11-2 match.
- MIT tacked on five more goals including two more from Kearns.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Ivatorov, Kearns, and Lundh all scored three goals for MIT.
- Rajadhyax led MIT with four steals and added two scores.
- The Engineers finished with 21 steals in the match.
- First year Armaan Gill (Long Grove, Ill) made five saves in goal while classmate Josh Woren (Aurora, Colo.) made six.
HOW IT HAPPENED vs. AIR FORCE:
- The two teams went back-and-forth in the first eight minutes of play with each team scoring four goals. Sophomore Andras Beleznay (Delray Beach, Fla.) and Ivatorov each registered six on five goals in the period.
- Pryce scored back-to-back goals in the second to put MIT up 8-5, but sophomore Tom Leggett (Santa Barbara, Calif.) scored to make it a two-goal lead for MIT after two periods of play.
- A penalty shot goal from Pryce put MIT up 11-8 in the third, but the Falcons scored the next four to take the lead. Ivatorov and Ewald scored to put MIT back up one with 5:08 left. Air Force got goals from junior Jackson Carter (Roseville, Calif.) and sophomore Jack Richards (Walnut Creek, Calif.) to go up one. A last second chance by Pryce inside rang off the post as time expired.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Ivatorov and Pryce led the Engineers with four goals each in the match while Ewald recorded a hat trick.
- Kearns led the Engineers with five assists and four steals.
- Woren finished with eight saves and Gill had three.
- Leggett recorded a game-high seven goals.
UP NEXT:
- The Engineers continue with the Bruno Invitational tomorrow beginning with a 10:30 AM match against No. 15 Fordham followed by a 2:30 PM match against No. 6 Pacific. The matches will be held at Harvard University.
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