The Crimson picked up two wins behind strong defensive play. (Zack Williamson)
BRONX, N.Y. and NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. - No. 19 Harvard men's water polo (19-7, 7-4) closed the the regular season with two road victories in the CWPA Northern Division. The Crimson faced off against Fordham (13-15, 4-8) early Sunday morning, winning 11-7. Harvard then made the short trip to Iona (6-16, 5-7), defeating the Gales 11-9.
Against Fordham
The Crimson bounced back against Fordham, after an overtime loss to No. 17 St. Francis earlier in the weekend. Both the offense and defense played well, scoring 10-plus goals for the 21st time in 2014 and holding an opponent under 10 goals for the 13th time this season.
Harvard wasted no time taking control of the game, scoring eight goals in the first half. Blake Lee starred in the first two quarters, finding the net four times in the first 16 minutes. B. Lee would end the game with a team-high five goals.
The Crimson went into the second half with an 8-5 lead. The offense slowed down in half but the defense was fantastic, allowing only two more Ram goals. Standout freshman Colin Chiapello made an impact in the final 16 minutes, scoring two of his three goals and helping the Crimson secure the 11-7 win.
Against Iona
Harvard took momentum from its morning win into a game against a hot Iona team, which had won three of its last five. The Crimson and Gales played out a great game but Harvard would come out on top, 11-9, when the final whistle blew.
In the first half, both teams went toe-to-toe for 16 minutes heading into half time tied at 6-6. B. Lee once again had the hot hand in the first half, responsible for three of the Crimson's six goals.
The third quarter saw both defenses buckle down. The team's could only score two goals each, remaining deadlocked at 8-8 entering the final frame. In his final regular season game for the Crimson, senior captain Max Murphy stepped up in the second half scoring a goal in the third and fourth quarters, leading Harvard to an 11-9 victory.
Up Next
The Crimson is back in action next week at the CWPA Northern Division championship, November 8-9, hosted by crosstown rival MIT.
