The Crimson scored a combined 31 goals in two division wins at Blodgett Pool. (Doug Stevens)
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – No. 18 Harvard men's water polo was strong Saturday afternoon, winning two CWPA Northern Division match ups in Blodgett Pool. In the first game of the day, Harvard defeated MIT, 12-7, and closed the doubleheader with a 19-8 victory over Connecticut College.
Vs. MIT
The Crimson and MIT created a multitude of chances in the first quarter but strong net minding kept the score low. The Engineers opened the scoring early on, but Joey Colton was able to equalize moments later. At the end of the first eight minutes Harvard trailed MIT, 2-1.
Great defense was on display in the second period but a late flurry gave the Crimson its first lead of the game. The Engineers again scored first, early in the quarter. In the third minute, Blake Lee drew a penalty and buried his shot to bring MIT's lead to 3-2. With less than a minute left in the half, Colin Chiapello found space down the outside of the pool and beat the keeper to tie the game and was able to score again to give Harvard a 4-3 lead with one second on the clock.
Harvard found its offensive rhythm in the third quarter, scoring three goals. The Engineers wasted no time finding the equalizer, only 30 seconds into the second half. Harvard hit back with two goals in quick succession by Dan Stevens and Ben Zepfel, giving the Crimson a 6-4 lead. B. Lee found the back of the net for the second time, building the Crimson advantage to 7-4. MIT closed out the period with a late goal after a foul call in front of the goal, cutting the Crimson lead to 7-5.
Breaking the cycle of the Engineers scoring first, Colton opened the final frame with a long range effort and assisted on B. Lee's third goal of the match, putting Harvard up 9-5. Harvard reached the 10-goal mark for the 18th time this season thanks to a good finish from Zepfel. B. Lee continued to dominate the game, scoring his fourth of the game with three minutes left to play. MIT found the back of the net twice in the fourth but the Crimson swam away with a 12-7 victory.
Vs. Connecticut College
Harvard came out fast with two goals in the first two minutes, both from Viktor Wrobel. Dan Stevens put the Crimson up 3-0 with a point-blank finish. The Camels were able to avoid the first quarter shutout with a goal in the fourth minute. Chiapello found the back of the net for the18th time this season, sending Harvard into the second quarter up 6-3.
Colin Woolway starred in the second quarter, making key saves throughout the eight minutes. A Connecticut College foul in the middle of the pool created a fast break for Harvard, which was finished off by Zepfel for his first goal of the game. Zepfel's second goal of the game came in the fifth minute, making the score 9-3 in favor of the Crimson. A no-look goal by the Camels cut the Crimson lead to 9-4 with two minutes left in the half. Stevens' second goal of the game sent the Crimson into the half up 10-4.
The third quarter saw the Harvard offense flourish, while the defense only surrendered one goal. Zepfel quickly put the Crimson up 11-4 with two goals in the first minute and a half. In his final game at Blodgett Poll, senior captain Max Murphy scored twice in the third quarter, raising his total to 12 on the season. He also drew two penalty shoots, with Wrobel converting the second attempt. Harvard would end the period with seven total goals and a 17-6 lead.
With an 11-goal lead, Harvard did a great job of keeping possession and finishing the game strong. Zepfel scored in the final frame, picking up a goal in every quarter. Junior walk-on Austin Lee played well in the fourth and scored his second goal of the season. When the final whistle blew, the Crimson was victorious 19-8.
Up Next
Harvard hits the road next weekend for three matches across New York State. The Crimson faces off against St. Francis Saturday, Nov. 1 at 4 p.m. On Sunday, Nov. 2, Harvard battles Fordham at 11 a.m. and then heads to Iona for a 4 p.m. game.
