#16 Water Polo Downed by #10 Princeton in NCAA Opening Round

(Princeton, N.J.) – (November 27, 2021) – Princeton's Roko Pozaric netted a match-high four goals, while Pierce Maloney scored three as the #10 Princeton Tigers topped the #16 Fordham Rams, 17-8, in the opening round of the NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship, held at DeNunzio Pool in Princeton, N.J.
 
Fordham opened with a 1-0 lead three minutes into the contest, as Hans Zdolsek scored to the right side of the net.
 
Following back-to-back markers by Princeton, Zdolsek tied the game at two with an man-advantage marker with 3:14 left in the first quarter.  The Tigers though scored four times over the final 1:45 of the period to end with a 6-3 lead.

 
The Tigers and Rams played even in the second quarter with Zdolsek and Gabriel Melillo netting goals for Fordham, leaving the game at 8-5 at halftime.
 
Princeton then went off for seven goals in the third quarter to extend the lead to 15-6, eventually winning the match, 17-8.
 
For Fordham, Zdolsek led the Rams with three goals and an assist, while Melillo had two goals and a steal.  Lucas Nieto Jasny also added two goals and an assist with Sebastian Zapatero getting the final tally for the Rams.  In net, Thomas Lercari made seven saves for the Rams.