STAFF WRITER

Fordham has three regular season matches left before the CWPA Northern Division Championship on Nov. 9 and 10. (Photo by Ally White/The Ram)

The Fordham men’s water polo team had another tough couple of non-conference games this past weekend in Princeton, N.J., dropping their record to 11-12.

The Rams have faced some high competition this season, playing numerous ranked teams, including No. 15 Princeton.

“The ranked teams are definitely a challenge,” said head coach Bill Harris. “They have a lot of talent.”

In the first game of the day, Princeton came out strong, taking a 4-0 lead, but the Rams were persistent and brought the score within two, ending the third quarter 6-4.

The Tigers, however, were resilient and tacked on another five goals to Fordham’s two in the fourth quarter, making the final score 11-6. Sophomore Andrew Gonzalez led the team with three goals, while senior Nick Allen and sophomores David DeFontes and Peter Bergum each had one. Junior goalie Noah LeBeau had six saves.

Game two against George Washington proved to be a much better showing, though the Rams lost again 11-10. The Colonials ended the first half with a strong 7-3 lead. Trailing 9-3, the Rams rallied in the third quarter, with goals by Gonzalez, sophomore Patrick Lenihan, Allen and freshman R.J. Simmons, to pull within two.

The Rams continued the comeback in the fourth quarter, with goals by Lenihan and Gonzalez tying the game at nine. The Colonials pulled ahead by two again, but the Rams were only able to put one more away, ending the game 11-10 in favor of GW.

“I was not happy with the loss, but I was not displeased,” Harris said. “The guys showed a strong work ethic and a lot of character.”

The Rams have four more conference games, starting with a make-up game against St. Francis this Thursday.

Fordham then wraps up the regular season with games at MIT, Harvard and Connecticut College.

Harvard is currently leading the conference, but Harris is confident that his team is ready.

“They got good experience this weekend to prepare for the final games,” Harris said.

The Rams hope to end the season and enter the Collegiate Water Polo Association Championship Tournament on a winning streak.

Categories: Sports, Water Polo