Princeton Outlasts Navy 12-11 for Southern Division Championship

PRINCETON, N.J. -- Junior Eric Vreeland’s lob goal with 1:29 remaining lifted the 16th-ranked Princeton men’s water polo team to a 12-11 win over 14th-ranked Navy in the Southern Championship game on Sunday afternoon at DeNunzio Pool. The win gave Princeton’s its fifth Southern Championship and its first since 2004.

The loss snapped Navy's 12-match Southern Tournament win streak, dating back to the 2004 season, and dropped Navy's record in the Southern Tournament to a sparkling 48-5 in 16 appearances. Navy has won 11 tournament titles, while Princeton is the only team to beat the Mids in the tournament's history.

"It was another great game between Princeton and Navy," said Navy head coach Mike Schofield. "Just a very typical rivalry game. Both teams should be very proud of their efforts and the game was played at a high level. They just made one more play than we did. We just had too many defensive breakdowns in the end. We weren't tough enough on defense when it counted. You have to give credit to Princeton as well. They really came to play today."

The teams traded the lead throughout the game and spent a good amount of time deadlocked as neither team rarely held more than a two-goal lead. Navy did hold a two-goal edge at 11-9 in the final quarter, but two quick goals from senior Brendan Colgan on set plays drew the Tigers even for Vreeland’s late go-ahead goal, which came moments after a Navy ejection ended.

Princeton got off to the early lead, leading by one after the opening quarter. But the game was tied at seven at the half and at nine after three quarters. Navy scored the first two goals of the final quarter but Princeton finished on a 3-0 run to pick up the win.

Colgan and Vreeland each finished the game with three goals, while junior Mark Zalewski added a pair and four others added single goals. Sophomore Mike Merlone made 12 saves for the win.

Brett Rajchel recorded nine saves in goal for the Midshipmen. Chuck Baker, Michael Mulvey, Kevin Bell and Johnny Meiners scored a pair of goals each for Navy. Marek Malik, Alex Kofsky and Kyle Wertz scored once each.

Princeton improved to 17-9 with the win and defeated George Washington, Bucknell and Navy to claim its first Southern title since the 2004 season. Overall, it is the Tigers fifth Southern Crown, with the other coming in 1991, 2001, 2003 and 2004.

The Tigers and Midshipmen will continue the season on November 21-23 at the Eastern Championship hosted by the United States Naval Academy.  Princeton and Navy will join St. Francis College (N.Y.), Brown University, Iona College, Bucknell University, Johns Hopkins University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as the winner of the tournament receives the Collegiate Water Polo Association's automatic bid to the 2008 NCAA Championship at Stanford University.

Compiled from Princeton & Navy Athletic Communications