Harvard secured its second-straight 20-win season (Gil Talbot).
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – No. 12 men's water polo and Navy battled tightly for the first half, but Harvard used a 5-0 run in the third period to pull away and top the Mids with a 19-12 victory in its opening game of the Collegiate Water Polo Association Championship. With the win, the Crimson advance to the semifinals for the first time since 2007 and will square off against Princeton tomorrow at 6 p.m.
Noah Harrison paced the attack with five goals and three assists while Colin Woolway led the Harvard defense with six stops in net.
Harvard got on the board in no time as Blake Lee scored 16 seconds into the game on a penalty shot. Navy responded with the equalizer 20 seconds later, but Lee skipped in another shot and Harrison cashed in on another penalty shot to give the Crimson a 3-1 lead. Navy responded to make it a one-goal game, but Lee netted Harvard's third penalty shot and Joey Colton scorched his first goal of the game to give the Crimson the 5-4 lead, but the Mids answered once again to tie it at five all at the end of the first period.
Harrison fired home a power-play goal to start the second period to give Harvard a 6-5 lead, but Navy tied the game once again before Lee and Harrison netted back-to-back goals to put Harvard ahead by two. Navy tied it up with just over two minutes to go in the half, but the Crimson stormed back as Ben Zepfel and Colton scorched consecutive goals to reclaim a two-goal lead for Harvard as it took a 10-8 advantage at the half.
Colin Chiapello gave Harvard its first three-goal lead of the game just under a minute into the second half, but Navy put it back within a two-score game. The Crimson attack came alive as it went on a 5-0 run as Harrison continued to have the hot-hand, while Robbie Fluegge scored on a breakaway to make it 13-9 game. Chiappello found the back of the net and Lee netted Harvard's fourth penalty shot of the game. Viktor Wrobel snapped the back of the net to put Harvard up by six before Navy stopped the bleeding, but the damage was done as Wrobel struck again to make it a 17-11 game at the end of the third period.
Wollway and the defense shutdown Navy's comeback attempt and Lee closed out the game with his fourth goal and Chiapello netted an empty-net goal to cap the 19-12 victory.
With the win, Harvard earned its 20th victory on the season and has recorded back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since the 2000-01.
Harvard and Princeton split their series this season with each taking a game. The Crimson and Tigers will face off for the final time this season with rights to advance to the CWPA Championship game on the line.
