After a third place finish in last year’s Collegiate Water Polo Association Northern Division Championships, the men’s water polo team strove to do better. The Bears (24-6, 11-1 CWPA), seeded first in the tournament and ranked 11th in the nation, did just that this past weekend at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology by defeating Fordham University (14-17, 4-8) and Harvard (21-8, 7-4) to capture the Northern Division title — a championship that had eluded them since 2009. These victories extended the Bears’ winning streak to nine — their longest run of the season.
Brown 13, Fordham 3
Despite a closely contested first period, Brown emerged triumphant over Fordham for the third time this season. Unlike the first two meetings, this matchup turned into a rout in Bruno’s favor rather quickly. The first period saw the two teams scoring back and forth before the period ended in a 3-3 tie.
After the first period, the Bears took complete control of the game, scoring 10 unanswered goals. The offense scored early and often in a ruthless second period that saw Brown score five goals and enter halftime with a comfortable 8-3 lead.
The second half was more of the same as the team added five additional goals to its tally while suffocating Fordham’s offense.
Eight different players scored for Brown, with Matty Gallas ’16 and Luke Irwin ’17 leading the way with three goals apiece. Goalie Luke Weiser ’17 also played an integral part in keeping Fordham scoreless for three quarters.
Brown 9, Harvard 6
After defeating Fordham, the only thing standing between Bruno and CWPA Northern Division glory was its most familiar foe: Harvard. Unfortunately for the Crimson, Bruno jumped to a 4-0 lead in the first period and never looked back. Two of those goals belonged to Tyler Kirchberg ’18, who ended the game with three goals to his name.
By halftime, the score was 6-1 and the Bears were on the brink of champion status. Though the Crimson narrowed its deficit to 7-4 in the third period, it failed to inch to victory. The Bears saw the game out, recording their fourth straight win against Harvard this season and their sixth straight victory dating back to last season.
Brown led wire-to-wire in a total offensive and defensive team effort. Henry Fox ’15 and Gallas each contributed two goals, while Weiser continued to stonewall the opposition with 10 more saves. Throughout the tournament, the Bears did not fall behind for a moment. They seemed to always be in the driver’s seat, controlling the flow of the game with determination and strength.
The Bears will look to maintain their momentum at the CWPA Championships at Navy from Nov. 21 to Nov. 23.
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