Providence, RI. – In the third-place game of the NPWC Conference Tournament, the fifth-seeded MIT water polo team fell just short to second seed and No. 19 nationally ranked Brown, 13-11 on Sunday morning at the Catherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Center.
The Engineers finished fourth in the tournament, marking the best finish in the tournament in program history.
Three Engineers were named to the All-Tournament Team:
Caspar Lightner - First Team
Rick Lundh - Second Team
Adam Ivatorov - Honorable Mention
Lightner was also named the Rookie of the Tournament.
THE BASICS:
- Score: Brown 13, MIT 11
- Records: MIT (8-20 Overall) Brown (20-10)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- William Ewald got the scoring started for the Engineers who also got scored from Rick Lundh and Adam Ivatorov to build a 3-1 lead. The teams exchanged goals as MIT ended the quarter with a 4-3 lead with Andras Beleznay notching the fourth goal in the quarter for MIT.
- The teams continued to go back-and-forth in the second quarter, which featured three ties. Derek Schaffer scored in the last minute to give MIT a 6-5 lead, but the Bears scored with :45 seconds left to tie the match.
- Two-straight goals to open the third gave Brown the lead but MIT responded with a goal from Caspar Lightner to get the Engineers to within one, and a score from Victor Perez off the counter at 3:40 tied the score at eight. Dominik Balla gave the Bears the lead but with seven seconds remaining, Lightner buried his six-on-five chance to tie the match yet again.
- Ilias Stothart put Brown up for good and Balla netted the 11th goal of the day for the Bears. Lundh and Lightner both scored goals that got MIT within one, but Brown was able to hold onto the lead and secure third place in the NWPC Conference Tournament with a 13-11 win.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Lightner was the only player on the Engineers to score more than one goal, finishing the day with four to bring his season total to 74. Seven other Engineers had goals in the game.
- Schaffer had a team-high four steals and Ewald led the team with three assists.
- Joshua Woren made six saves in goal.
UP NEXT:
- The Engineers will now head to California for the USA Water Polo Division III National Championships which will be held on Saturday, December 6 and Sunday, December 7 on the campus of C-M-S in Claremont, Calif.
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