Some teams just have your number. In regards to Fordham Water Polo, that team just happens to be Princeton University.
The Rams took two of the three games at this year’s Princeton Invitational, but the one loss once again came against Princeton, who has now won 21 of their last 22 meetings with Fordham, dating back to 1998.
Now defeating Princeton is no easy task, even for a Fordham team that ranked 20th in the nation in the updated Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) polls. Entering the matchup, Princeton ranked sixth in the nation, by far the highest of any team on the east coast. And with Fordham pitted against both Princeton and a #18 ranked Harvard University, the invitational poised quite the challenge.
For the most part, they were up for the task. The Rams came out strong on Saturday, defeating unranked Chapman University 21-12. Fordham took a 9-5 lead at halftime, with four first-half goals from junior Jacopo Parrella. They’d put things out of reach in the second half with a five goal third and a seven goal fourth. Parrella finished the day with a season-high six goals while fellow juniors Luca Silvestri and George Papanikolaou complimented the attack with four goals and three goals respectively.
The invitational would continue on Sunday with a tantalizing double header, as the Rams got set to do battle with a pair of top 20 teams in Harvard and Princeton. Initially ranked above #18 Harvard in the preseason poll, Fordham had fallen to #20 after a 2-2 opening week that saw the Rams drop both matches against ranked opponents.
Nonetheless, Fordham pulled off the upset, defeating Harvard 14-10. Sophomore Balazs Berenyi helped catapult the Rams to a halftime lead, but the Crimson would keep things close, cutting the lead to 9-8 at the close of the third quarter. A pair of fourth quarter goals from Papanikolaou and another tally from Berenyi gave Fordham a four-goal lead that they would protect for the remainder of the match. Berenyi led the way with five goals while Papanikolaou posted his second straight hat trick.
The invitational concluded with a rematch of last year’s NCAA Championship opening round as the Rams would go for the invitational sweep against Princeton. The Tigers held the high-powered Fordham offense in check, defeating them 15-9. The Rams mustered just two goals in the first half, with juniors Lucas Nieto Jasny and Gabriel Melillo accounting for the only tallies. When it was all said and done, nine different players accounted for the nine goals.
Fordham exits an arduous opening schedule to a 4-3 start. With four of the seven opponents either ranked or receiving votes in the national poll, the Rams still come away with an above .500 record.
It’s nice to see Fordham have some success against Harvard, who defeated the Rams in 11 straight matchups from 2012 to 2019. The turn of the decade has been fruitful for Fordham, who have won two of their last three games against the Crimson, with Harvard being ranked in all three.
Princeton, however, still proves to be a massive obstacle, winning their last five matchups against the Rams. Outside of a lone Fordham win in 2019, it’s been a dry spell for over two decades. Even with some close efforts in years past, most notably an OT loss in last year’s NCAA tournament, the Tigers have time and time again proven to be quite the challenge. Undoubtedly the gold standard of the east, it’s a harsh reminder of what likely awaits Fordham as they eye the NCAA Championship.
The Rams will pivot their attention to conference play, beginning a stretch of nine straight games against Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) opponents. Most of those will come on the road as Fordham won’t play in front of their home fans until Oct. 4. After being picked to win the MAWPC in the preseason poll, the Rams have fallen to second as the United Naval Academy leapt ahead of them, rising from 20th to 13th in the Week 1 national polls.
Next up on the docket, the Rams travel to Pennsylvania for the Bison Invitational. The Rams will get their first chance to show what they’re made of in conference play, squaring off against Bucknell University and Wagner College, both ranked top five in the conference, and a John Hopkins University squad that received MAWPC votes.
