ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy water polo team (19-8, 9-2) split a pair of games on the final home weekend of the season at Lejeune Hall in Annapolis. The Midshipmen dropped a 16-14 decision against #5 Fordham (17-3, 7-0) before notching a 15-14 victory over Johns Hopkins (15-5).
 
Prior to Sunday afternoon's game against the Blue Jays, the Midshipmen honored its four seniors – Rory Begin, Jack Hightower, Shaan Sandhoo, and team captain Holden Seybold – for their contribution to the Navy water polo program as part of Senior Day.
 
"It is always nice to win on Senior Day," head coach Luis Nicolao said after the game. "These four seniors have meant so much to our program and I am glad that their final home game was a win. It is always a special moment.
 
"We came close in the first game against a top five team in Fordham. We had our opportunities, but they are number five for a reason. In the second game, we were able to get a win. It wasn't pretty, but a win is win. At this point of the season, each game gets tougher and tougher. We have one more regular season game and then we head up to Fordham for the conference tournament. We are going to have a good week of practice and take on a talented George Washington team."
 
Fourteen (14) different Midshipmen scored goals on the day, including seven players that finished with multiple scores. Aiden Day led Navy with a team-high six goals, while adding four assists for 10 total points. Kiefer Black netted four goals, while adding a team-high 12 assists for 16 total points. Black set a school record with eight assists in a game against #5 Fordham. Maddox Garrahy and Luka Sekulic added three scores apiece with Quinn Bartlett, James Mulvey, and Jack Reif nothing two goals each. Begin, Aiden Berry, Orion Erwin, Austin Kahn, Matt Mai-Prasarnsuk, Jack Mason, and Billy Zech rounded out the scoring with a goal apiece.
 
Navy used three goalies on the day. Jack Rodoni worked a complete game against the nationally-ranked Rams. The sophomore finished with 15 saves in the contest, while adding an assist and a steal. Hightower and Ryan Munch shared time at goal against the Blue Jays. The duo combined for nine stops with Hightower adding a takeaway.
 
Up next, the Midshipmen conclude the regular season with a road game at George Washington. The Midshipmen and Revolutionaries are set to compete on Friday, Nov. 7 at 7:00 p.m.
 
Game 1 Recap: #5 Fordham 16, Navy 14
In the first game of the day, Navy pushed #5 Fordham to the very end before ultimately being edged, 16-14.
 
Fordham opened the game with a pair of scores, but Reif put Navy on the scoreboard with his first goal of the game. After the Rams increased their advantage to two, Reif was able to slam the ball into the back of the net to trim the margin to 3-2. Fordham once again stretched the lead to two, but Mason cut the lead in half with a goal. Day knotted the score at 4-4, converting a five-meter attempt. The score remained locked at four until the Rams were able to sneak a ball past the Mids defense just before the end of the period.
 
In the second quarter, the visitors started the scoring with a penalty shot. Erwin countered for the Midshipmen to keep the game within on. The Rams scored the next two goals to take their largest lead of the morning, but Mulvey and Garrahy responded with back-to-back tallies to trim the margin to 8-7. Fordham once again pushed the advantage to two, but Bartlett closed the gap back to one. The Rams were able to score the final goal of the quarter, sending the game into halftime with the visitors leading 10-8.
 
Fordham used a 3-0 run to start the third quarter to take a five-goal lead, 13-8. The Midshipmen chipped away the remainder of the quarter. Garrahy got the scoring started for the Mids with Day following with his second goal of the day. With time ticking down, Mulvey closed out the quarter with a goal to send the game into the final period of regulation with Navy down just two, 13-11.
 
In the fourth, the Rams extended their lead to 15-11 with back-to-back goals. The Mids countered with goals by Berry and Black to close the gap to two. Fordham pushed the lead to three, 16-13. Navy was able to get a goal by Sekulic to trim the deficit to two, but ran out of time, dropping the two-goal decision, 16-14.
 
Game 2 Recap: Navy 15, Johns Hopkins 14
In the second game of the day, the Midshipmen outlasted the Blue Jays, 15-14, in a back-and-forth Senior Day game.
 
Navy jumped out to an early lead in the second game. Day and Begin each found the back of the net to put the Midshipmen in front, 2-0. Johns Hopkins used a penalty shot to close the gap, but Black responded with his first goal of the game. The Blue Jays used a goal to cut the margin to 3-2, but Kahn ended the period with a goal to put the Mids in front 4-2.
 
In the second quarter, Hopkins scored four of the first five goals to take a 6-5 lead. Day had the one goal in the run for the Midshipmen. Day tied the game with his second goal of the period. Navy regained the lead thanks to a Sekulic goal, but a five-meter goal by Johns Hopkins sent the game into intermission tied at 7-7.
 
The third quarter was a back-and-forth quarter with the two teams matching one another's efforts. Zech scored to give Navy the lead, but Johns Hopkins tied the game at 8-8. The Mids regained the advantage on a Day goal but the Blue Jays once again tied the contest. Mai-Prasarnsuk gave the home team the lead, but back-to-back scores by Hopkins gave the visitors a one-goal advantage. Navy was able to tie the game just before the quarter ended as Garrahy scored on a penalty shot to lock the game at 11-11.
 
In the fourth quarter, Bartlett and Black combined to scored three of the first four goals of the period to give Navy a 14-12 lead. Johns Hopkins cut the margin to one, but Sekulic fired a laser into the back of the goal to put the Midshipmen back in front by two. The Blue Jays were able to cut the Mids' lead to one, but Navy was able to hold on to the lead and secure the 15-14 victory.