Woolway had another stout day, but the Crimson went 1-1 on Sunday (Gil Talbot)
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The Harvard men's water polo team played two CWPA Northern matches today at Blodgett Pool. In the first game Harvard defeated Fordham, 10-8, and in the second game the Crimson fell, 13-8, against No. 14 Brown. Ben Zepfel and Joey Colton led the way for the Crimson attack on the day.
Vs. Fordham
The first quarter saw a flurry of shots from both teams but strong goal keeping kept the score at 2-2. Viktor Wrobel and Colton scored for the Crimson but the Rams were able to equalize with two seconds left in the quarter.
The offensive output continued in the second half with more balls finding the back of the net. Harvard's Colton and the Rams scored within the first 30 seconds of the second half. The Crimson and the Rams continued to trade goals in the second half but key saves by Woolway gave Harvard a 7-4 lead heading into halftime.
The defense in the third quarter was strong for both teams, taking four minutes before Fordham opened the scoring. Dan Stevens scored his first goal of the match with three minutes left to push the Crimson lead to 8-5. The Rams were again able to get a goal in the final seconds, cutting Harvard's lead to 8-6 going into the final quarter.
Woolway and the Crimson defense were stellar in the fourth quarter, allowing only two goals. Zepfel scored two insurance goals in the final quarter for Harvard, securing the 10-8 win over Fordham. Woolway stared in between the posts tallying six saves and Zepfel led all scorers with three goals.
Vs. No. 14 Brown
The first quarter saw excellent defense, as both teams came up with big saves and steals making for a rough-and-tumble opening frame. Colton opened the scoring with 4:09 left to play with a long range shot that skipped past the Brown goalie. With two minutes left to play Brown was able to equalize, 1-1. As time was expiring, the Bears were able to take a 2-1 lead heading into the second quarter.
The game opened up in the second quarter as seven total goals were scored. The Brown defense applied heavy pressure forcing Harvard to settle for long-range shoots. Colton found the back of the net two more times with distance shoots, with Colin Chiapelo adding his first of the game to keep the game close. Unfortunately for the Crimson, the Bears were able to score five in the second quarter, taking a 6-4 lead into half time.
Harvard's defense committed multiple fouls and earned multiple ejections in the third quarter allowing Brown to score five goals. The Brown defense continued to force Harvard to shoot from outside but Blake Lee was able to put in two goals from distance anyway, cutting Browns lead to, 11-6.
With 5:22 left in the final period, Colton scored his fourth goal of the match with a fantastic touch shot from close range. Captain Max Murphy was able to score his first goal of the weekend with 2:07 left to play in the game. After 80 minutes, the Crimson fell to the Bears, 13-8.
Harvard travels to the west coast next week to compete in the Gary Troyer Invitational. The Crimson will take on Concordia (Calif.) and Pomona-Pitzer on Saturday, Oct. 3. Sunday, Oct. 4, Harvard faces off against Occidental and Redlands.
