COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The No. 17 Navy water polo team (8-3) split a pair of games on Saturday at the Rare Air Challenge hosted by Air Force in Colorado Springs, Colo. The Midshipmen defeated Concordia (3-8) in the first game of the day, 18-7, but dropped a 19-14 decision to No. 14 Harvard (6-2) in the nightcap.
With the win against Concordia,
Luis Nicolao recorded his 500th victory as a men's head coach. Nicolao became the eighth coach to reach that mark, joining Ted Newland, former Navy head coach Mike Schofield, Denny Harper, Jovan Vavic, Terry Schroeder, Dante Dettamanti, and Pete Cutino with 500 or more wins. Nicolao is two victories shy of 100 wins at Navy.
"This milestone means a lot, but it is not mine alone," Nicolao said after the game. "I wouldn't be where I am today without the players that I have had the privilege to coach; all the assistants that I have worked with along the way; my family. There are too many people to recognize that went into these 500 wins. I am just fortunate to get the opportunity to do what I love every day. To hit a milestone like this is so special and I want to share it with everyone who was involved."
Offensively, Navy tallied 32 goals on the day.
Luka Sekulic led the team with five scores, while
Maddox Garrahy and
Michael Heller added four goals apiece.
Quinn Bartlett,
Kiefer Black,
Tommy McKnew, and
Holden Seybold all added hat tricks with
Austin Kahn finishing the day with a pair of goals.
Connor Cashman,
Liam McInerney,
Matt Mai-Prasarnsuk,
Henry Williams, and
Billy Zech rounded out the scoring with one goal apiece.
Black led the team with five assists on the day.
The Midshipmen used three goalies on the day.
Jack Rodoni led the group with six saves, while
Ryan Munch added four stops and
Jack Hightower finished the day with three.
Navy concludes play in the Rare Air Challenge with a pair of games on Sunday. The Midshipmen play Biola (2-7) at 12:00 p.m. before closing out the tournament with Cal Lutheran (3-4) at 3:30 p.m. Live stats will be available for both games.
Game 1 Recap: #17 Navy 18, Concordia 7
Navy took an early lead, finishing the first quarter at 4-3, highlighted by goals from Kahn and Black. Concordia kept the game competitive, but the Midshipmen's offensive pressure proved too much.
As the game progressed, the Mids intensified their attack, scoring five goals in the second quarter to extend their lead to 9-4 at halftime. Heller and Sekulic played pivotal roles, with Heller netting two goals in the period while Sekulic contributed heavily as well.
In the second half, Navy continued to dominate, outscoring Concordia 9-3. Black and Cashman found the back of the net, contributing to Navy's balanced scoring effort. Concordia struggled to keep pace, managing only a pair of goals in the fourth quarter.
Game 2 Recap: #14 Harvard 19, #17 Navy 14
Harvard began the game with a commanding first period, scoring five goals while limiting Navy to just two. The Crimson's defense, combined with effective goalkeeping from Tanner Furtak, allowing Harvard to maintain its lead into the second period, where the Crimson widened the gap with seven additional goals.
Navy, however, showed resilience and fought back in the second half. Garrahy led the Midshipmen's charges with four goals, helping to close the gap. Despite their efforts, the Mids could not overcome Harvard's early lead. The back-and-forth continued into the fourth period with Navy scoring six goals but ultimately falling short.
