Alex Thompson led the Crimson in scoring in its
season-opening game at the MIT Invitational (photo courtesy of Gil
Talbot)
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Harvard
men's water polo team struggled out of the gate Saturday at
the MIT Invitational, losing a close exhibition match, 9-8, and
falling to No. 14 St. Francis, 16-7, in head coach Ted
Minnis' debut
The Crimson opened its first competition of the year against
the Boston Metro Elite club water polo team. The score was tied,
4-4, at the end of the first half, and Harvard would take a 7-4
lead midway through the third period. Boston Metro Elite would not
go away however, as the club went on a 5-0 scoring run to take a
9-7 lead with just two minutes to play in the fourth period.
After scoring a goal to cut the deficit to one, the Crimson
went into a press-to-steal defense and Jeff Lee came up with the
ball with only five seconds on the clock. After a timeout, Harvard
set up a play, only to see the game-tying goal bang off the
crossbar as the clock ran out.
Senior Alex Thompson and junior Evan Zepfel had two goals apiece
to lead Harvard in scoring. Junior goalie Alexandre Popp had three
saves in the first half and freshman Jimmy Field had five in the
second half.
Against No. 14 St. Francis, Harvard fell behind early and
struggled to keep up. The Terriers would eventually run away with
the 16-7 victory after taking a 5-1 halftime lead. Senior captain
Bret Voith and Lee had two goals each to lead the Crimson, while
Popp had four saves in the first half defending the goal.
“The main thing our team got out of today was a lot of
lessons,” Harvard head coach Ted Minnis said. “We
always talk about it being stairs and we're still at the
bottom and we're climbing. We get a good team in Cal Lutheran
[Sunday] and hopefully we can put some of those lessons to
use.”
vs. Boston Metro Elite | vs. No. 14 St. Francis
| Goals |
No. |
|
|
|
|
|
| Thompson |
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Zepfel |
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Eliot |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
Babic
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Lee |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
Voith
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Assists |
No. |
|
|
|
|
|
DiSilvestro
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
Katzer
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
Martinho
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Babic |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Thompson |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Voith |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Zepfel |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Steals |
No. |
|
|
|
|
|
| Thompson |
4 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Katzer |
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Voith |
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Lee |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Zepfel |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Saves |
No. |
|
|
|
|
|
| Field |
5 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Popp |
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Goals |
No. |
| |
Voith |
2
|
| |
Lee |
2 |
| |
DiSilvestro |
1 |
| |
Eliot |
1 |
| |
Thompson |
1 |
| |
|
|
| |
Assists |
No. |
| |
DiSilvestro |
1 |
| |
Katzer |
1 |
| |
Voith |
1 |
| |
|
|
| |
Steals |
No. |
| |
Thompson |
2 |
| |
Babic |
1 |
| |
DiSilvestro |
1 |
| |
|
|
| |
Saves |
No. |
| |
Popp |
4 |
| |
Field |
3 |
| |
Clement |
2 |
