Courtesy: Harvard Athletics
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The No. 9 Harvard men’s water polo team defeated MIT 14-5 to finish the regular season with a 27-0 (10-0 NWPC) record. The 27th victory of the season for Harvard ties the program record for most wins in a season.
First-years Kaleb Archer and Gabe Putnam powered the Crimson offense in today’s match, each tallying a hat trick. Leading the team in assists was sophomore Michael Sonsini who recorded four helpers. Sophomore Noah Hodge and first-year Nathan Wu backstopped the Harvard defense with Hodge totaling eight saves before Wu entered the game in the fourth quarter and made three of his own.
Sophomore Alex Tsotadze got the Crimson on the board first, converting on a 5-meter penalty shot. MIT would score a minute later to tie the game up at one, however, four-straight goals by Harvard at the end of the first quarter and into the second would give the team the 5-1 lead. The Crimson would go on a four-goal run in the third to extend its lead by eight and secure the eventual 14-5 victory.
Harvard Highlights
- The class of 2020 is the first group of seniors to win 100 matches in a Crimson cap.
- The last time Harvard won 27 matches in a season was 2016 when the team went 27-7 and advanced to the Final Four of the NCAA Championship.
- Sonisni has tallied four or more assists in four matches this season.
- Head coach Ted Minnis is now two wins away from his 200th career men’s water polo victory at Harvard.
Up Next
The Crimson will face the winner of the MIT vs. St. Francis (N.Y.) matchup in the NWPC Championships. The match is scheduled to take place on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 3 p.m., at MIT.
