By Maria Trivelpiece
The Fordham University men’s water polo team desperately needed a turnaround. Its 6-12 record was not representative of the caliber of its athletes. Many matches were dropped in overtime or by a single goal deficit; the Rams could not seem to finish games.
This weekend, the squad finally began to gel in a way that brought them three victories and a hopeful outlook for the rest of the season. On Wednesday, they upset #20 Wagner by a whopping score of 14-10. Jake Miller-Tolt was fabulous as always, scoring five goals in the victory. Bailey O’Mara had twelve saves.
“We had been working hard all season, but kept losing games by one goal,” said Miller-Tolt. “This win over Wagner really showed our hard work.”
The victory propelled the team into its weekend series of games as it destroyed Connecticut College 18-1 and pounded Salem International 14-8. In the match against Connecticut College, the Rams did not allow a goal until the second half. Dimitris Koukias, Tristen Knoflick, and Samuel Varshisky each had three goals. “The momentum from the win over Wagner really carried into the weekend, and we never got too complacent,” said Miller-Tolt.
In the second game against Salem International, Miller-Tolt flaunted his dominance again, this time scoring a career-high of six goals. Koukias and Ian Watson each had two of their own to help lead the Rams to victory.
“We just played good team ball,” said the Miller-Tolt. “It’s really what helped us get two more wins.”
With the victories, the Fordham University men’s water polo team improves to 10-12 on the season and 2-4 in conference play. But the Rams are not done yet, as this mid-season surge is just what it needed in order to be able to compete in their fast-approaching conference tournament that will be held at Col. Francis B. Messmore Aquatic Center in mid-November.
The team will be back in the pool Saturday, Oct. 27 and Sunday, Oct. 28 at home. It will face off against Johns Hopkins, Bucknell and LaSalle. The Rams will look to make a statement and to prove that they are worthy competitors for the upcoming conference tournament.
