Cambridge, Mass. – The Wagner men's water polo team continued its tough non-conference slate this weekend at the Harvard Invite.
Game 1 Results: Wagner 13 - Harvard 16
The Seahawks competed early in the morning against No. 17 Harvard in an offensive duel at Blodgett Pool.
Harvard jumped ahead early, taking advantage on fast transitions to take a 3-2 lead midway through the first period. Wagner responded with goals from freshman
Landon Castillo, senior captain
Laszlo Strasser and freshman
Nadav Carmon to close the gap to 6-3 by the end of the opening frame.
The Seahawks scored at the beginning the second quarter behind another finish from sophomore
Matt Wedlock, then sophomore
Smith Connors added another to keep the game within reach. Harvard then pushed the lead to four more goals at halftime. Wagner's defense settled in toward the end of the half with a key stop from sophomore goalkeeper
Ian Conway.
The Green & White came out of halftime energized. Strasser scored his second goal, while junior
Patrick Ray scored for the first time during the game right after. Carmon and Connors added their second goals. The Seahawks cut into the deficit before the end of the frame, which ended with a 12-10 lead for the Crimson. The final quarter featured fast-paced exchanges at both ends. Friedenberg continued his standout morning, completing a hat trick, while Ray added another to round out his two-goal performance. Despite the late push, Harvard's depth proved decisive as they sealed the 16-13 victory.
Conway recorded three saves in the contest, keeping Wagner within striking distance throughout much of the match.
Goals: Friedenberg (3), Carmon (2), Connors (2), Strasser (2), Ray (2), Castillo, Wedlock
Game 2 Results: Wagner 13 - MIT 7
The Seahawks wasted no time asserting control in game two. Castillo struck first for the Green & White before Carmon, Friedenberg, and Connors extended the lead. Freshman
Kelly Murphy added another tally the last ten seconds. Wagner's ball movement created clean looks on the perimeter, and the defense limited MIT's second-chance opportunities. The Seahawks led 5-2 after one.
Wagner continued to push offensively in the second frame — Connors connected on a pair of goals and Ray added another. The Seahawks entered halftime with an 8-4 lead.
The Green & White defense shined in the third quarter, holding MIT to just two goals. Carmon tallied two more goals, completing his hat trick, and Castillo capitalized on a toughen up opportunity, extending Wagner's lead to a total of 11-6 entering the final frame.
MIT mounted a brief push in the fourth, but Wagner's composure kept the game in control. Castillo and Connors each found the back of the net again, sealing the 13-7 victory and wrapping up a successful East Coast Saturday for the Seahawks.
Goals: Connors (4), Castillo (3), Carmon (3), Murphy, Friedenberg, Ray
Game 3 Results: Wagner 9 - Brown 10
The Seahawks got off to a strong start, opening the scoring three minutes into the match with a goal from Castillo. Friedenberg followed with a strike from the perimeter before Carmon added another to give Wagner a 3-1 lead midway through the first quarter. The offensive tempo continued into the second quarter as Connors found the back of the net at the end of the period. Carmon helped with the advantage scoring again in the last seconds of the quarter, however, Brown capitalized on power plays late in the period to even the score at 5-5 heading into halftime.
The third quarter saw both sides trade goals in a defensive battle. Junior
Vince Varga and Connors added goals for Wagner, but the Bears managed to keep the score even again 7-7 entering the final frame.
In the fourth, the Seahawks showed a fight, as Carmon netted his third of the day and Wedlock scored as well. Despite drawing several exclusions and a strong finish from the defense, the Seahawks couldn't find an equalizer in the closing seconds and fell narrowly, 10-9.
Goals: Carmon (3), Connors (2), Friedenberg, Castillo, Varga, Wedlock
Game 4 Results: Wagner 16 - LIU 9
The Wagner Seahawks delivered a commanding performance against LIU, securing a 16-9 win. LIU opened the scoring but Wagner responded with back-to-back goals from Castillo. Friedenberg struck at the end of the period to regain the lead, and Castillo added the last goal three seconds before the end. It gave Wagner a 4-2 edge heading into the second.
In the second quarter, Connors got Wagner rolling early with a goal. Carmon continued his strong showing, scoring twice more in the quarter. LIU managed to stay in the game with multiple goals, but Wagner's defense held firm, and the Seahawks led 8-5 at halftime.
The third quarter saw Wagner maintain their momentum. Carmon and Strasser added goals, and Wagner's defense continued to frustrate LIU's attack. In the fourth quarter, LIU answered with a pair of goals but Wagner surged ahead with a flurry of goals from Wedlock, Connors and Strasser. Varga scored twice to seal the win.
Goals: Strasser (3), Castillo (3), Carmon (3), Connors (2), Friedenberg (2), Varga (2), Wedlock
Up next, the Seahawks travel to Emmitsburg, Maryland to compete against MAWPC opponent Mount St. Mary's on Friday, October 31 at 6 p.m.
