Tech Water Polo Wins Pair, Ranks Fifth in All Of Div. III
The MIT men’s water polo team, ranked fifth nationally in Division III, used a balanced offensive attack to earn a pair of victories against Connecticut College and Penn State-Behrend on Sunday afternoon in New London, Conn. The Engineers downed the Camels, 21-11, before returning to the pool almost immediately to defeat the Lions, 15-6.
Tech moved to 7-4 with the two wins and snapped a three-game losing streak in the process, though all three of those losses came at the hands of Division I opponents.
Michael R. Smith-Bronstein ’09 served as MIT’s offensive catalyst in both games, notching three goals and four assists in the opening match against Connecticut College before bagging four more goals in the second game against Penn State-Behrend. His seven-goal effort boosted his season total to 31 goals, good for second on the team behind John V. Preis ’11 who has 38.
Mark E. Artz ’10 matched Smith-Bronstein’s three-goal total in the opener against the Camels, while Preis, Matthew J. Perkins ’11, Devin M. Lewis ’10, Robert J. Kalwarowsky ’10, and St. Julien Palmer Rosemond ’09 contributed two goals apiece. Gavin Darcy ’11, Jacob L. Rosenbluth ’10, Grant D. Tomassi ’11, Morgan S. Laidlaw ’08, and Spencer D. Williams ’11 each added a single strike to round out the scoring. The balanced attack totaled seven players with multi-goal efforts, equaling a season high, and 12 different scorers, which was the most for the Cardinal and Gray in 2007.
Hiroshi A. Mendoza ’10 stopped four shots while manning the net against the Camels, and Lewis and Laidlaw aided the defensive effort with three and two steals, respectively.
In the afternoon’s second match-up against the Lions, the Engineers received three-goal efforts from Artz and Preis, while Kalwarowsky and Lewis each added a pair of strikes. Darcy’s lone goal, combined with Smith-Bronstein’s game-high four, completed Tech’s offensive output.
Laidlaw, the team’s only senior, secured four assists and two steals to help the Cardinal and Gray at both ends of the pool.
Mendoza and Nicholas A. Souza ’10 split time in goal against Penn State-Behrend, with Mendoza making two saves and Souza contributing five. Each keeper allowed three goals.
The Engineers will have a lengthy recuperation period, as they will not play again until Oct. 4 when the team travels to California. Tech will take on the University of Redlands and Long Beach State University in stand-alone games, as well as compete in the Claremont Convergence tournament.