Navy Water Polo Splits Opening Day at Princeton Invitational
The Navy Midshipmen water polo team showed both its ability to compete with nationally ranked opponents and its offensive depth Saturday at the Princeton Invitational, splitting two games at DeNunzio Pool in Princeton, New Jersey. Navy pushed No. 12 Princeton to the final seconds before suffering a narrow 16-15 loss, then responded emphatically with a 22-8 victory over LIU. The split moved Navy to 6-1 on the season after the Midshipmen opened the year with five consecutive victories at the Navy Open.
It was an encouraging day despite Navy suffering its first loss of the season. Fifteen different Midshipmen scored at least once across the two games, while eight players recorded multiple goals. Navy’s ability to immediately recover from a difficult one-goal loss against Princeton and dominate LIU later in the day provided another indication of the depth head coach Luis Nicolao has available this season.
Midshipmen nearly complete comeback against No. 12 Princeton
Navy faced its biggest test of the young season in Saturday’s opener against tournament host Princeton. The Tigers entered the matchup ranked No. 12 nationally and undefeated, but the Midshipmen nearly erased a four-goal halftime deficit before falling 16-15. Navy trailed 10-6 at halftime and 12-10 entering the fourth quarter before turning the final period into a fight to the finish.
Princeton struck first on a five-meter penalty, but freshman Declan Bartlett quickly answered for Navy. Princeton scored the next two goals before Luka Sekulic brought the Midshipmen back within one. After another Princeton penalty goal, Declan Murphy scored to make it 4-3 at the end of the opening quarter.
The Tigers created separation during the second quarter. Princeton scored four of the period’s first five goals, with Jack Reif providing Navy’s lone goal during the run. Quinn Bartlett eventually stopped the surge with a goal, but Princeton answered with two more scores to build a 10-5 advantage. Bartlett scored again before halftime, cutting Navy’s deficit to 10-6.
Rather than allowing the game to get away, Navy began its comeback in the third quarter. After Princeton opened the second half with a goal, Saul Biddle, Reif and Aiden Day scored three consecutive goals for the Midshipmen. Princeton converted another five-meter opportunity, but James Mulvey answered to cut the Tigers’ advantage to 12-10 entering the fourth quarter.
Mulvey opened the fourth-quarter scoring and suddenly Navy was within one. Princeton answered, but Quinn Bartlett completed his hat trick to again reduce the deficit to a single goal. The Tigers then scored twice to restore some breathing room before Declan Bartlett delivered consecutive goals, making it 15-14.
Princeton scored once more, but Navy refused to go away. Declan Bartlett struck again with 25 seconds remaining to make it 16-15 and give the Midshipmen one final opportunity. Navy could not force the turnover it needed, however, allowing Princeton to run out the remaining time and escape with the one-goal victory.
The loss ended Navy’s perfect start, but the performance demonstrated that the Midshipmen could compete with a highly ranked opponent on the road. Princeton improved to 5-0, while Navy dropped to 5-1 before returning to the pool later Saturday.
Navy responds with dominant win over LIU
There was little indication of a hangover from the heartbreaking morning loss when Navy returned to face LIU. The Midshipmen immediately seized control, scoring the game’s first six goals and eventually cruising to a 22-8 victory. Navy led from beginning to end and outscored LIU in every quarter.
Reif scored the first two goals before Quinn Bartlett made it 3-0. Kiefer Black, Sekulic and Maximus Arnold followed with goals of their own, giving Navy a commanding 6-0 advantage after the opening quarter. The early burst essentially established the tone for the remainder of the game.
Bartlett scored again to open the second quarter and extend Navy’s run to seven unanswered goals. LIU finally got on the board, but Colin McPhail answered for the Midshipmen. After another LIU goal, Bartlett responded with his second goal of the game, and Arnold eventually pushed Navy’s advantage to 10-3 entering halftime.
Navy continued pouring on the pressure after the break. Reif scored to begin the third quarter, and after an LIU response, Navy ripped off four straight goals. Aiden Berry accounted for three of those four scores as the Midshipmen stretched the advantage to 15-4. Connor Cashman and Berry added goals later in the period, sending Navy into the fourth quarter holding a commanding 17-6 lead.
LIU converted a pair of five-meter opportunities during the fourth quarter, but those goals did little to slow Navy. Arnold scored between the two LIU penalties before Murphy, Jack Pointner, Tanner Lustig and Arnold finished the afternoon with four consecutive Navy goals. The closing run produced the final 22-8 margin and moved the Midshipmen to 6-1.
Bartlett brothers lead balanced Navy attack
One of the biggest stories from Saturday was Navy’s depth. Fifteen Midshipmen scored across the two contests, giving Nicolao production throughout his lineup rather than forcing Navy to depend on only one or two offensive threats. Eight players scored multiple goals during the day.
Quinn Bartlett led Navy with seven goals, recording a hat trick against Princeton before scoring four times against LIU. Declan Bartlett finished with four goals and three assists for seven points, including four goals against Princeton. Reif scored five times during the two games, while Arnold, Declan Bartlett and Berry each finished the day with four goals.
Mulvey, Murphy and Sekulic each contributed two goals. Biddle, Black, Cashman, Day, Lustig, McPhail and Pointner also scored for the Midshipmen. That distribution was particularly evident against LIU, when Navy continually rotated fresh offensive threats into the attack.
Black remained an important part of Navy’s offense even without being among its leading goal scorers. The senior recorded a team-high eight assists Saturday and finished the two games with nine total points. Declan Bartlett had three assists, Cashman contributed four and Day recorded three, while McPhail added two.
Black entered the Princeton Invitational already as Navy’s career record holder in points and assists. He came into the weekend with 443 career points and 206 assists after becoming the first player in program history to surpass 200 career assists during the Navy Open.
Navy gets contributions in goal
Navy also divided the work in net between Jack Rodoni and Ryan Munch. Rodoni recorded 13 saves over the two games and added four steals. Munch contributed seven saves and a takeaway as Navy’s goalkeepers combined for 20 stops Saturday.
The defensive numbers were naturally affected by the level of competition in the opener. Princeton scored 16 times, including several five-meter opportunities, but Navy’s defense did enough in the second half to allow the offense to nearly erase the deficit. The Midshipmen then tightened things considerably against LIU, allowing only eight goals while the offense built a 14-goal victory.
Princeton weekend adds to impressive start
Navy entered the weekend 5-0 after sweeping its five games at the Navy Open. The Midshipmen defeated Mount St. Mary’s 15-14, Johns Hopkins 13-9, Salem 23-11 and Austin College twice, 17-5 and 15-6. Saturday’s games therefore represented a significant increase in difficulty, particularly against nationally ranked Princeton.
The response after the Princeton loss may have been almost as significant as the near upset itself. Navy had only a few hours to recover from its first defeat before playing LIU, yet the Midshipmen opened the second game with six unanswered goals and never allowed the Sharks to seriously threaten. Nicolao praised his team afterward for responding rather than allowing the morning result to affect the afternoon contest.
Navy’s weekend ultimately became even more impressive Sunday. The Midshipmen defeated No. 18 Harvard 17-13 to finish the Princeton Invitational 2-1 and improve to 7-1 overall. It marked Navy’s first victory over a nationally ranked opponent this season.
Freshman Declan Bartlett continued his strong weekend by scoring five goals against Harvard. He finished the Princeton Invitational with a team-high nine goals and three assists for 12 points, performances that earned him NAAA Athlete of the Week honors. Bartlett scored four times against Princeton and five times against Harvard, giving the freshman hat tricks against both ranked opponents.
Navy now has some time before its next competition. The Midshipmen are scheduled to face Air Force for the Freedom Vase on Sept. 24 before traveling to California for the UC Irvine Invitational Sept. 26-27, where Navy is scheduled to play Santa Clara, Loyola Marymount and UC Irvine.
MSB Take
Navy’s first loss of the season should not overshadow what the Midshipmen accomplished Saturday. Falling 16-15 on the road against No. 12 Princeton after trailing by four goals at halftime showed that Navy has the offensive firepower and resilience to compete against nationally ranked programs. The immediate 22-8 response against LIU was equally encouraging because Navy never allowed the emotional Princeton loss to carry into its second game.
The depth might be the most promising part of this Navy team. Fifteen players scoring in one day, combined with the continued development of Declan Bartlett and the veteran playmaking of Kiefer Black, gives Nicolao several different ways to attack opponents. Add Sunday’s 17-13 victory over No. 18 Harvard, and Navy left Princeton at 7-1 with considerably more evidence that this team can be dangerous against quality competition.
The season is still young and there will be much tougher tests ahead, particularly when Navy travels west later this month. However, a one-goal battle against No. 12 Princeton followed by decisive victories over LIU and No. 18 Harvard made the Princeton Invitational a productive weekend for a Midshipmen team that continues to build momentum.
