BROOKLYN, NY. With COVID-19 and family stuff, it’s not so easy for me to hop a bus, train or plane for a weekend of water polo. Which is odd; I spent the past five years doing just that (for which I am grateful). At times I feel like a fish out of water, striving to keep up, watching game on a small screen (which eliminates a lot of the extra-curricular activity that is often the real story of who—or who doesn’t—wins.).

But I had the good fortune to take a one-day visit to Cambridge last Saturday for three games—two at Harvard’s Blodgett Pool and one at MIT’s Zesinger Aquatics Center. These are both GREAT pools for polo and resonate (for me) of very positive memories of times before the coronavirus screwed everything up.

Harvard vs. Princeton was THE match

As I wrote before, I was eager to see the Crimson and Tigers clash. I suspected they were the East two best teams (this is not to slight Fordham, which is enjoying the best season in program history, or Bucknell, which everyone would be wise not to underestimate). Certainly, the nation’s coaches agree; they were tied for #11 in last week’s Collegiate Water Polo Association men’s varsity poll.

The proof to this was on view Saturday morning. Princeton’s Dustin Litvak has assembled a talented group drawn from all over the world, including Joan Coloma (Spain), Vladan Mitrovic (Serbia) as well as Antonio Knez and Roko Pozaric (Croatia). This group’s international background provides a counterbalance to the accomplished West Coast athletes that have been drawn to Harvard the past decade by Crimson Head Coach Ted Minnis, including Jackson Enright, Michael Sonsini and Alex Tsotadze on this year’s squad.

But Harvard is far from an All-American squad. Minnis’ roster—sprinkled with international athletes including freshmen Andrej Basica of Serbia and Alex James of Ontario plus sophomore Mot Stothart of Spain—made this contest between Ivy League rivals a reflection of the continued transformation of American polo by international athletes.

[On The Record with Todd Clapper of Arizona State Women’s Water Polo]

Speculation aside, all that matters is the scoresheet. As they had in their meeting a month ago, Harvard jumped out to an early lead, suggesting that the Crimson would control this match much as they had in Princeton a month ago. But Litvak is not considered one of the country’s top young coaches because he panics; he has imbued his team with a confidence that they can beat almost anyone—which they (mostly) have this season.

After Harvard’s Gabe Putnam beat Princeton goalie Billy Motherway at the 5:22 mark to put the home side up 3-0, the Tigers reeled off four straight goals to take a one goal lead after one period. Yurian Quinones (game high four scores) would hit the back of the net twice, while George Caras delivered after a death struggle in front of Harvard goalie Noah Hodge. Mason Killion also scored for Princeton in the period; Harvard would briefly take a 5-4 lead with goals by Basica (team high three) and Michael Sonsini early in the next frame; it was the Crimson’s last lead of the game. Princeton responded immediately and went into the locker room at the half up 6-5.

Harvard would tie it up at 6-6 all on Basica’s second goal early in the third, but a score by Quinones 30 seconds later gave Princeton a lead it would not relinquish. The Tigers grew their advantage to three late in the period; Sasha Bucur cut it to 9-7 with 30 seconds to go in the third.

Hodges stopped Keller Mahoney on a five-meter attempt early in the fourth period, but the visitors continued their onslaught with goals by Coloma and Quinones to put Harvard in a four-goal hole. They would cut the lead back to two with scores from Basica and Hodges—coming out of his cage and hammering a shot past Motherway. But Ryan Neapole’s second tally of the game sealed a 12-9 verdict for Princeton; a win over MIT later that afternoon and one on Sunday at Brown put Princeton in the driver’s seat for the NWPC’s regular season title—and a bye into the conference semifinals.

Litvak’s team has two winnable matches next Saturday against Iona and St. Francis to close out their regular season; baring an upset it’s Princeton’s title to lose.

With matches next weekend against Brown, Connecticut College and MIT, Harvard (22-4; 6-2 NWPC) will almost certainly slot in second in the conference. It’s Minnis’ sixth-straight 20-win season; with 222 victories and a .655 winning percentage, he is by far the most successful men’s coach in Crimson polo history.

Ugly Terrier Loss at Harvard

The Princeton vs. Harvard contest was thrilling—and worth the trip. Which it needed to be, because what happened that afternoon at Blodgett was dispiriting for this Terrier fan

Namely an ugly 20-5 St. Francis thrashing by the host Crimson. This loss is tied with a similar defeat from October 10, 1992 as worst to Harvard in SFC history. In a decade of watching the Terriers it was the worst I’ve seen them perform against an Eastern opponent—and perplexing because this same SFC squad beat Harvard a month ago in Brooklyn Heights. A win that led me to a bit of what now appears to be hyperbole.

[The Terriers of St. Francis Brooklyn Are Back!]

Here’s a breakdown from the game’s first 10 minutes:

First Period:

6:14: Harvard’s Gabe Putnam in front of SFC goal
5:23: Putnam again, power play
4:31: Alex Tsotadze converts a 5M penalty
4:07: Tsotadze scores on a breakaway
3:33: Owen Hale converts a 5M
2:47: Hale converts another 5M
1:20: Hale scores in front of SFC goal
34 seconds: Sasha Bucur on a power play

Second Period:

5:29: Mot Stothart power move inside

Three minutes into the second period SFC’s Baptiste Oliveri scored on the power play to end Harvard’s opening match run of nine straight goals. It did not stop the bleeding; on a goal by Tsotadze (game-high five goals) and two more by Putnam (four goals) the host Crimson ended the half leading 12-3.

But the worst was yet to come. In a game that was lost in the first period, and the Crimson looking to minimize contact as much as possible, Terrier captain Dominik Hevesi inexplicably chose to take out his frustrations at the worst possible moment. With a little more than a minutes left in the third period—and his team down 17-3—Hevesi exchanged punches with Max Keck, primarily a bench player for Minnis’ squad. It was a costly decision. Not only did the Crimson get a penalty shot—which Keck missed—they were also awarded a man-advantage, which freshman James converted to put his team up by 15.

Hevesi must also sit out the following two matches; one of which was a key NWPC contest on Sunday against Brown. Without their leading scorer, SFC lost 14-13 in overtime.

In my mind, there’s no question the Terriers win on Sunday with Hevesi in the line-up. His emotions cost his team dearly as he will also be out for this Saturday’s match against Princeton, virtually ensuring that St. Francis (12-6; 5-3 NWPC) will finish fourth in the regular season, and likely face the Tigers on November 20 in the NWPC Championships semifinals, to be held at Princeton.

This also underscores the Terriers lack of competition that past three weeks; they played one match from October 9—a blowout win over Iona—while Brown and Harvard played six and Princeton nine. With two weeks—and two matches—left on their schedule, SFC has just enough time to right their ship and make Ilija Duretic’s first season as head coach a success.

A great weekend—including a visit to MIT’s wondrous Zesinger pool where the Terriers captured a 20-10 win over the Engineers—reminded me how much I miss what’s been going on. And just how good this year’s Tiger team is, perhaps good enough to make some noise in California at the 2021 NCAAs.

As long as they get there.