By Maria Trivelpiece

The Fordham University men’s water polo team opened up their 2018 season in an unexpected way. The team has gone two and four in its first six matches, picking up victories over Salem International and Iona. Yet, it is only the beginning for these Rams, and there is still a great possibility for their success.

The Rams lost All-American Massimiliano Mirachi to graduation as well as Alex Jahns, leaving the team with gaps to fill. This past weekend, Fordham came up short by only one goal against Santa Clara. Mac Carey scored with only one second left in regulation to skirt past the battling Rams. Jake Miller-Tolt stepped up to the task, as he scored seven goals and snagged three assists to capture his first career 10-point game, but his errots were still not enough. Phillip Wang had two goals and Diego Delgado, Ian Watson and Sam Wheeler each had one goal apiece in the loss.

The loss to ninth-ranked Harvard was tough, as the Fordham men’s water polo team fell by a defecit of five. Miller-Tolt contributed again, scoring two goals and having two assists for the Rams. Joseph Agabs had two of each as well, and Sims and Watson added two to the total. Wang and Will Smoot each had two apiece, but the Rams defense struggled as it allowed five goals in the third quarter which eventually propelled Harvard to victory.

However, the year is long, and the seniors on the squad performed well so far for the Rams. Coach Bill Harris believes if itcan continue to have success and mentor the younger players, the Fordham University men’s water polo team can have the type of championship season they are striving for.

The Rams will be back in the pool this coming weekend at the Bison Invitational in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. On Saturday, Sept. 15 they will face off against Wagner and Meryhurst. Then, on Friday they will tackle Bucknell University and the University of Toronto. The team will be back in the Bronx on Sept. 23 to play the George Washington Colonials.

At the beginning of the season, Harris believed that the would be exciting, and although the team did not start off great, there is still plenty of time for these battling Rams to make a run to victory over the course of the rest of the season.