SANTA CLARA, Calif. – No. 13 Harvard men's water polo took down Fresno Pacific University (5-16, 2-3 WWPA) 24-9, to begin the Julian Fraser Memorial Tournament in Santa Clara. Sophomore
Kaleb Archer led the Crimson attack with five goals while junior
Alex Tsotadze netted four as Harvard improved to 18-2, 4-1 NWPC on the season.
Harvard wasted no time in getting down to business in Santa Clara, rallying for eight goals in the first period including a pair by sophomore
Owen Hale. The Crimson led 8-2 after one and continued its offensive barrage into the second period. Sophomore
Kaleb Archer and
Mot Stothart both netted hat tricks before the half while junior
Alex Tsotadze added two of his own. Harvard held a comfortable 15-4 lead at halftime over the Sunbirds.
First-year
Tyler Zarcu took over in the third quarter, with two goals and three assists to add to the Crimson lead. Tsotadze and Archer were responsible for scoring two goals each in the frame, and Harvard went into the fourth with a 23-7 lead. Junior goalie
Nathan Wu made five of his eight saves in the second half as Harvard enjoyed one of its best offensive performances of the season, defeating the Sunbirds 24-9.
Harvard Highlights
- First-year Tyler Zarcu scored a hat trick while pacing the Crimson with six assists.
- Sophomore Kaleb Archer led Harvard with five goals while junior Alex Tsotadze totaled four goals and two steals.
- First-year Andrej Basica tallied three assists and three steals to go along with a goal.
Game Notes
- Harvard tied a season-high with 24 goals scored, after hitting the mark in its 24-6 season opening win over Mercyhurst.
- Eighth consecutive win for the Crimson, all coming by at least four goals.
- Harvard saw 11 different players get on the scoresheet.
What's Next?
The Crimson will play two on Saturday, Oct. 23, taking on No. 18 California Baptist at 11:30 a.m. EST and host Santa Clara University at 7:30 p.m. EST. Harvard concludes the tournament on Sunday, Oct. 24 at 11:00 a.m. EST, matching up with No. 7 University of California Santa Barbara.
