Rumble in the Bronx: Fordham-Iona Meet on October 28 to Decide Northern Division Title

BRONX, N.Y. -- After 20-games, the Collegiate Water Polo Association Men's Varsity Northern Division Championship will be decided by one game on October 28 as the 4-1 Rams of Fordham University host the 4-1 Gaels of Iona College in a 7:30 p.m. rumble in the Bronx to decide who earns the No. 1 seed for the Northern Division Championship on November 7-8 at Harvard University.

But, while the game itself will not entirely decide the victor, it will hand out all the spoils as the Rams and Gaels enter the final contest on the CWPA Northern Division slate of Northern games one victory behind the 5-1 Bears of Brown University, which is guaranteed at least a share of the crown but not the No. 1 seed to the championship.

Due to a loss to Iona, and unlike the Rams and Gaels who will decide their fates in the water, Brown, which defeated Fordham 11-9 and fell to Iona 10-9 earlier this year, is forced to watch, wait and worry about the outcome as the trio of teams fates will turn on each goal, save, steal, ejection and whistle.

If Fordham wins and ties Brown at 5-1, the Rams will finish second in the division due to an 11-9 loss to Brown in head-to-head competition from earlier this year. 

However, if Iona is able to knock-off the Rams and move to 5-1, the Gaels will earn the No. 1 seed courtesy a 10-9 victory over the Bears, with Brown and Fordham taking the second and third seeds, respectively.

The game will be crucial in deciding the division champion in two weeks at Harvard as the No. 1 seed earns a first round bye before facing the victor of a first round game between the No. 4 (Harvard) and 5 (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) seeds, while the No. 2 and 3 seeds are forced to meet the No. 7 (Connecticut College) and 6 (Queens College) seeds before squaring off in the semifinals.