BRONX, N.Y. – The No. 19 Navy water polo team (15-5, 5-3 MAWPC) was edged 10-8 to No. 17 Fordham (13-3, 9-0 MAWPC) in a top 20 matchup at the Col. Francis B. Messmore Aquatic Center in the Bronx, N.Y.
"Today was tough, but it showed that we are right there," head coach
Luis Nicolao said. "Last time we played them, we got off to a rough start and were playing from behind the whole time. Today, we started better, but we still need to come out a little stronger, a little faster. That being said, I am proud of the guys' effort today. They battled to the end against the defending conference champion and, a play here, a play there, it could have been a different outcome."
Senior
Caden Capobianco had another stellar day at goal for the Midshipmen. The team captain finished the game with 13 saves and three steals in a complete-game effort. The double-digit save performance was the 11th of the season for Capobianco in 16 games played.
Kiefer Black once again led the Navy offensive attack. The freshman finished with a team-high three goals with a team-best two assists for five total points.
Rory Begin chipped in a pair of goals, while
Sam Collingwood,
Aiden Day, and
Hayden Kahn each found the back of the net.
Capobianco led the team with his three steals, while Black added a pair of takeaways. Day and
Holden Seybold added steals in the contest.
Tommy McKnew led the team with two ejections drawn with Black, Collingwood,
Ivan Pang, and
Henry Williams drawing ejections as well.
Fordham jumped out to an early 3-0 lead before Black rattled the cage for the first time to cut the margin to 3-1 through one quarter of play. Black started the second quarter with a goal to trim the deficit to one. Day knotted the game at three, taking advantage of a man-up opportunity for the Midshipmen. The Rams regained the lead with two minutes to play in the half and extended the advantage to two, 5-3, with 54 ticks remaining. Begin cut the margin to one before halftime, burying a ball in the back of the net to send the game into intermission with Navy trailing 5-4.
In the second half, the home team extended its advantage back to two with a goal, but Begin once again trimmed the margin to one. Following a Fordham goal, Black completed his hat trick to pull to within one, 7-6. The Rams scored just before the end of the third quarter to head to the final quarter of play in front, 8-6. Kahn opened the fourth quarter with a goal to once again pull Navy to within one. Back-to-back goals by Fordham gave the home team a three-goal cushion. Collingwood scored to pull Navy to within two with a minute to play, but the Midshipmen would get no closer, dropping the 10-8 decision.
The Midshipmen will have consecutive bye weekends before concluding the regular season with four MAWPC games between Friday and Sunday, Nov. 3-5, including three at Scott Natatorium. The Mids open the four-game stretch with a home game on Friday, Nov. 3 against Wagner (7:00 p.m.). On Saturday, Nov. 4, Navy makes the short trip to Baltimore for a single game against Johns Hopkins (6:00 p.m.). The Mids conclude the weekend with a pair of games against Mount St. Mary's (11:00 a.m.) and George Washington (3:00 p.m.) on Sunday, Nov. 5. at Scott Natatorium.
