PRINCETON, N.J. – The Wagner men's water polo team competed in the Princeton Invitational this weekend, earning one win against LIU.
Game 1 Results: Wagner 13 – Navy 14
The Seahawks came out firing in the first quarter with goals from
Laszlo Strasser and
Smith Connors to keep pace with Navy. The Midshipmen led 4-3 after one.
Wagner's offense kept rolling in the second quarter as
Matan Friedenberg,
Matt Wedlock, and
Smith Connors each scored a goal. Despite their push, Navy carried an 7-6 lead into the break.
In the third quarter, the Seahawks made their way back.
Patrick Ray scored his first of the game. The fourth quarter was a tense back-and-forth battle. Friedenberg netted his second goal of the day while Strasser
, Varga and Ray
added another three goals to keep Wagner in striking distance, but Navy scored the decisive goal in the final two minutes to escape with a narrow 14-13 win.
Goals: Strasser (3), Ray (2), Friedenberg (3), Connors (2), Wedlock, Varga.
Game 2 Results: Wagner 13 – LIU 10
Wagner and LIU went head-to-head in a Sunday morning matchup at the Princeton Invitational, with the Seahawks using a strong second half to earn a 13-10 victory.
The Sharks struck first, but Wagner answered quickly with a goal from Strasser. Wagner kept pushing throughout the opening period, leaving the game 3-1down for Wagner after the first.
In the second quarter, Wagner's offense began to find their way back to action with
Landon Castillo connecting twice in the frame. Towards the end, the Green & White pushed ahead 8-5 at halftime concluding with a total of 7 goals.
The Seahawks extended their lead in the third with balanced scoring from
Kelly Murphy,
Nadav Carmon, Friedenberg and Strasser. The defense, anchored by goalkeeper
Filip Petrovic, held LIU to just two goals in the quarter, giving Wagner a 12-7 edge heading into the final frame.
In the fourth, Wagner wrapped it up with one more goal. Ray got his first goal of the game, leading them to the victory. The Green & White secured the 13-10 win.
Goals: Strasser (3), Castillo (2), Carmon (2), Murphy (2), Wedlock, Friedenberg, Ray, Johnson
Game 3 Results: Wagner 6 – Princeton 14
The Wagner men's water polo team closed out the Princeton Invite with a matchup against host Princeton on Sunday evening, ultimately dropping a 14-6 decision.
The Seahawks came out strong in the opening quarter, with a goal from
Matan Friedenberg keeping pace in the game with the Tigers' attack. Princeton edged ahead late in the period to take a 7-1 lead after the first quarter.
Wagner's defense aimed to fight the second quarter back. The team tried to keep the Green & White within reach, but Princeton held a 11-1 advantage at halftime.
The Seahawks picked up in the third quarter as
Nadav Carmon, and
Laszlo Strasser each found the back of the net. Heading into the fourth, the Tigers led 13-3.
In the final quarter, Wagner pushed the hosts to the limit. Friedenberg completed his hat trick, and Strasser scored his second goal of the game to make it a one-goal contest in the last minutes. Despite the late surge, Princeton held on for the 14-6 win in front of its home crowd.
Goals: Friedenberg (3), Strasser (2), Carmon
Next up: Wagner returns to action Friday, Sept. 12, facing Iona at 6:30 p.m. at the Hynes Center Pool in New Rochelle, N
