News
October 14, 2007 - League Tournament at Yale
At home in Kiphuth Pool, the team earned four victories in the second weekend of league play, clinching the #2 seed for championship weekend and building anticipation for the looming showdowns with its powerful rivals.
The team enjoyed a light schedule on Saturday, playing only a single game against intrastate foe Wesleyan. Taking a 10-3 lead at the half, the team was able to ride its bench to a convincing 17-10 victory despite yielding four goals apiece to two of the Wesleyan players. Still, the team's dynamic offense was able to answer each challenge, as player-coach Paul Mittermiller scored four times, while senior co-captains Jason George and David Williams and junior Jay Kim all recorded hat tricks.
The first game Sunday matched the team for the second time this season against longtime rival Williams, and the team again rose to the occasion with a strong performance en route to a 13-9 win. The game's lowlight was a broken nose suffered by junior Ian Rose, who had to leave the game in the first quarter.
Anxious to earn the victory for their injured teammate, the team's offensive effort shifted into high gear, with freshman Thomas Lazzarini notching five goals, including a three-goal binge in the fourth quarter that put the game out of reach. Williams, Kim and junior David Gerstle tallied two points apiece.
Buoyed by Ian's return from the doctor's office in the afternoon, the team deployed and sustained a ferocious press against a potent Middlebury squad, holding the scoring to a minimum. The two teams played each other evenly for three quarters, entering the final period knotted in a 6-6 tie. But where Yale team had wilted down the stretch in past weeks and permitted close games to become narrow losses, the starters were able to increase their intensity, blasting four goals in the fourth quarter to take home a narrow 10-8 victory. George and Lazzarini netted three goals each to lead the team's effort.
The last game of the tournament matched Yale against the fledgling Boston University squad. Showing vast improvement from their initial forays into competition last spring, BU permitted only a single goal in the first quarter and Yale entered half-time nursing an uncomfortably close 3-2 lead. In the third quarter, however, the Yale offense began to fire on all cylinders, as five different players scored to blow the game wide open. A mixture of starters and reserves kept the momentum going in the fourth quarter, guiding the team to a 12-4 win. George managed three goals, and the rest were scattered.
-- J Ross Macdonald
October 10, 2007 - Yale Invitational Tournament
Attracting friends, family members and some familiar foes, the Yale Invitational continued the team's season-long pattern of alternating tough losses with emphatic wins as a large Parents' Weekend crowd cheered the squad on.
Yale's opening game prolonged the team's frustrating streak in hard-fought contests, as the team was defeated 9-8 by the University of Toronto despite a key late-game goal from co-captain David Williams which brought the tie within reach. Yale led through the third quarter behind a balanced offensive attack led by co-captain Jason George, whose pair of goals was the team's highest total. But as the game wore on, Yale's press defense was unable to contain the impressive performances of Toronto's leading players, two of whom managed hat tricks.
The second game matched the team against a longstanding opponent: Coast Guard Academy, a former league rival, now reassigned to the North Atlantic division. Yale put up a remarkably steady effort and never lost control of the game's tempo, leading 8-4 at the half and ultimately winning 16-8. Leading the squad in scoring was co-captain David Williams with four goals, while freshman Andy Gordon notched his first collegiate point in the third quarter.
On Sunday, Yale played a league game, its only one of the tournament, against Boston College. The winner of last year's North Atlantic crown, BC is a strong candidate to take New England after their offseason transfer.
Although the team got off to a good start, leading in the first quarter and keeping things tied at halftime, the offense wilted down the stretch as Williams and freshman Thomas Lazzarini were forced from the game by ejections. Nonetheless, it was a banner day for the team's outside shooters: player-coach Paul Mittermiller and Lazzarini piled up four goals apiece, while George contributed three from the set.
The final game, played before nearly empty stands, was a rollicking and spirited contest against the team's alumni. After suffering an 18-8 blowout at the hands of the Hellfish last spring, the Yale squad vowed vengeance and retrieved a measure of dignity with a 19-19 tie. Eschewing press defense in favor of constant counterattacking, Yale's strategy apparently consisted in allowing Hellfish holeset Will Reid to tire himself out with five first-quarter goals (en route to a total of eight) and hoping that Chris van den Berg's arm would be disabled by the strain of scoring his own five points. Nonetheless, the team found itself able to counter their opponents goal for goal, with junior David Gerstle putting up six goals and Williams scoring five.
-- J Ross Macdonald
October 2, 2007 - League Tournament at Dartmouth
In the first league action of the season, Yale emerged from a weekend of unfamiliar opponents and unusual conditions with a cathartic win over an old foe and an urgent warning that greater exertions will be required if the team is to contend for a divisional title.
The first game matched the squad against Dartmouth, the tournament's hosts, reigniting a longstanding rivalry that had been put on hiatus by the Big Green's reassignment to the North Atlantic division several years ago.
Although Yale started strong and entered the half with a 6-3 lead, the solid control of the tempo and the ball which the team had shown proved tenuous in the second half. Compounding the team's struggles was the necessity of adapting to Dartmouth's shallow-end pool, while the home team was intimately familiar with the arrangement. After chipping away at Yale's lead for two quarters, Dartmouth was able to score a last-second point to send the game into overtime, where two unanswered goals sealed their 10-8 victory. Leading the way for Yale was co-captain Jason George, who bagged three goals.
The second game, against the fledgling University of Massachusetts team, provided a measure of consolation after the difficult loss, as the team quickly seized control in the first quarter and ran up an 8-0 lead. This allowed coaches Andy Lewandowski and Doug Hausladen to give the starters time to rest, resulting in the first goals in CWPA action for juniors Philip Gant and Dan Li and sophomore Allen Sanchez en route to a 17-3 win.
After a night of recuperation, on Sunday morning the team took on archrival Williams, who had edged them for the division championship last year. In a defensive showdown, Yale deployed an effective press to shut down the Williams attack, defeating them 8-4. Yale's offensive effort was headlined by freshman Thomas Lazzarini, who exploded for five goals on precision shooting from the perimeter, continuing his emergence as a major scoring threat.
-- J Ross Macdonald
September 28, 2007 - Villanova Invitational
See the results here.
In a final tuneup before the beginning of league play, the team enjoyed four well-played matches at the Villanova Invitational. Finally back among its club team peers after swimming with the varsity teams in Boston, the team continued to consolidate its gains from preseason, displaying improved swimming and crisp passing en route to three energizing wins.
The first game pitted Yale against its hosts, who eked out a narrow 8-7 victory. Nonetheless, the team was able to hang tough with Villanova until deep in the game, preventing them from taking the lead until the third quarter despite coming up slightly short. It was a gratifying turnaround from last season, where Villanova administered a 16-8 thrashing which was never really competitive. In an exceptionally balanced attack, five of the Yale starters put points on the board, led by player-coach Paul Mittermiller and co-captain Jason George with two apiece.
The second game, a 13-11 win, matched the squad against Greater Philadelphia, a team largely composed of local master's players. Relying more on guile than on speed, the Philadelphians were nonetheless outscored in the first three quarters as Yale built a 12-7 lead. Mittermiller and freshman Tom Lazzarini paced the attack with hat tricks, while George and co-captain Dave Williams added two each. That steady production allowed the team to substitute freely from the bench in the fourth quarter, offering valuable experience to some of the team's newer players.
The Saturday nightcap game represented a rematch with the United States Military Academy, a frequent non-divisional opponent. Having struggled to fend off a late Army charge at their game last spring, the team was determined to avoid another stand-off. When Army's physical style began to neutralize the attack from the hole, Yale's sharpshooters took to the wings, turning what had been a tense 5-4 struggle at the end of the third quarter into a comfortable 10-5 margin, thanks to two goals each from Mittermiller, George, Williams and sophomore Grant Senyei.
In the Sunday game, the team took on Ivy League rival UPenn. Playing without substitutes, the Quakers put up a gallant effort, but junior David Gerstle's four/five goals broke the back of their effort, sealing up a 10-6 win. Making his very successful debut in goal this weekend was senior Paull Randt, whose improved positioning and wide wingspan led to a plethora of blocked shots and turnovers.
-- J Ross Macdonald
September 10, 2007 - MIT Invitational
We faced a challenging weekend in Boston at the MIT Invitational Tournament, facing two D-III and two D-I varsity programs. Though none of the matches ended favorably, it was clear that our preseason efforts were worthwhile and that the team was developing a strong new dynamic in the water as we adjusted to the loss of last year′s seniors.
Our first game against Santa Rosa was the most competitive. After three unanswered goals, Chris Van Den Berg, who graduated from Yale with a PhD in Comparative Literature and Classics in 2006 and joined us for the weekend, scored with a shot from hole. We allowed three more goals until David Gerstle and Paul Mittermiller converted on man-advantage plays midway through and late in the third quarter, respectively. Going into the fourth, we were down 4-6 and saw opportunity to overtake them. Ian Rose and Jay Kim added two more to the scoreboard and our defense was able to keep Santa Rosa from adding any of their own. However, our efforts fell just short, resulting in a 5-6 loss.
In the second game against MIT, we came out strong. Jay Kim opened the scoring in the game with a beautiful lob shot from the right side. Midway through the second quarter we found ourselves up 2-1, aided by a penalty shot from Jason George. The Engineers then began a series of fast break counterattacks, winning emphatically by a score of 4-12. Paul Mittermiller and Ian Rose added to our count, Paul scoring in the third and Ian in the fourth.
After a depressing first half against Harvard (after which the scoreboard read 1-8), we played the Crimson 4-5 in the second half. Again, fast break counterattacks got the better of us. Jason George scored twice in the third quarter, the first of which on a penalty shot. Jay Kim and David Gerstle both scored during the third, both on man-advantage opportunities. Gerstle added our final goal late in the fourth.
During the fourth game of the tournament against Brown, it was clear that we were exhausted from a weekend of water polo. We lost 0-8 to Brown.
All in all, it was a very enjoyable weekend. We were pleased to have Allen Sanchez, Nick Belgrave and Thomas Lazzarini play with us in their first tournaments with the team. Also, it was quite enjoyable for Chris Van Den Berg to join us for the weekend as he settles into his new teaching post at Dartmouth College. Finally, and most importantly, we owe a huge thank you to Alex Feinstein for taking over in goal. He was a dominating presence in goal with countless steals from the opposing hole sets and myriad jaw-dropping saves.
August 29, 2007 - Preseason
As summer waned on the East coast, the team gathered in the perpetual Mediterranean spring of San Diego to prepare for the season and plot the overthrow of their rivals for the New England division crown. The beautiful sun and team camaraderie made the trip unforgettable.
This year's camp was notably more intense than previous season's preseason training. Mornings were devoted to lengthy swim workouts devised by coach and former captain Doug Hausladen. Coach Andy Lewandowski generously made the trip to San Diego, providing a great deck presence to guide the squad's progress for several days. Two technique lessons with the distinguished South African swimmer Tudor Lacey helped team members tighten up their form and add endurance through enhanced efficiency.
After reloading at lunch with copious amounts of avocado and cold cuts graciously provided by the Mittermiller and Senyei families, the team returned to the water for afternoon polo practices, frequently under the whistle of the La Jolla High School coaching staff, who generously volunteered their time and expertise. Besides refreshing their fundamental skills and building leg strength, the team worked hard to master the nuances of the new and improved offensive scheme the coaching staff plans to implement this season. These sessions also offered the team's incoming goaltender, senior Paull Randt, an opportunity to adjust to his new habitat with some expert instruction.
The regular schedule was punctuated by several special events: two competitive evening scrimmages against the varsity team at La Jolla High School, and two long sea swims in La Jolla Cove, whose extraordinary natural beauty captivated the team's Eastern contingent. Outside of the water, the team enjoyed the chance to bond with new members Tom Lazzarini and Nick Belgrave over endless hours of "Arrested Development" and many games of pool.
Above all, the team is very grateful to the Senyei and Mittermiller families for their unstinting hospitality and delicious cooking, which kept squad members well-fed and energetic.
- Ross Macdonald
August 13, 2007
The summer is coming to a close and water polo is starting up again. We begin preseason in La Jolla, CA on Saturday, August 18 and start the season off in Boston at the MIT invitational September 8-9 and are all very excited about it. Please see the schedule page for a full list of our tournaments this fall.
May 2, 2007 - Season Wrap-up
After a very strong regular season, finishing with one loss in league play, we were heartbreakingly unable to clinch a berth in the national tournament, falling 6-5 to perennial rival Williams College, who went on to finish 6th in the nation, in the league championships on 29 October 2006.
We picked up quite a few awards along the way. Early in the season, David Gerstle, TD 09, was named New England Player of the Week, 26 September 2006. After league championships, David Williams, DC 08, and Jason George, BR 08, were named First Team All-Conference; David Williams was also named Most Valuable Player in the conference and honored as second team All-American.
Looking to next season, we are excited about joining a new league next year as the governing body, the Collegiate Water Polo Association, reorganizes the club structure.
In the interim, many team members have exciting plans for the summer. Bryce Kaufman, JE 07, is preparing to go to Istanbul, Turkey on Yale′s Fox Fellowship, doing an independent research project before he heads to Stanford Law in 08. Peter Goodings Swartz, BK 07, will be studying Chinese in Beijing from June 2007 to August 2008. Karlo Perica, ES 07, is looking forward to starting Johns Hopkins′ MD/PhD program. Paull Randt,DC 08, will be working in rural western China at a microfinance and microlending institution aimed at alleviating poverty and promoting environmentally sustainable economic growth in Shanggelila (Shangri-la), one of China's, and the world's, most ecologically diverse areas. Jason George, BR 08, and Dave Williams, DC 08, will be studying in Athens, Greece. Ian Rose, MC 09, will be doing geology research (pre-Cambrian paleomag) both in New Haven and Namibia. Philip Gant, TC 09, will be studying Korean for three months at Sogang University in Seoul, South Korea on a Richard U. Light Fellowship. Other members are frighteningly unsure of what they will be doing.
The team is also looking forward to preseason practice in La Jolla, CA again in late August this summer.
We would like to thank all of our generous donors again for making water polo possible.
April 7, 2007 - Yale Spring Invitational
April is the cruelest month, wrote T.S. Eliot, and after a exhilarating sweep in March's Army tournament, the team's spring Yale Invitational brought both satisfying triumph and humbling defeats.
The first game matched Yale against New England divisional rival Wesleyan, whom the team had narrowly defeated three times during the regular season. Despite getting on the board first, Yale quickly fell into a 9-2 hole after the first half and suffered a 14-6 defeat, despite a noticeably tightened defense as the game progressed. The absence of senior TD Smith, the team's long-time goaltender, was keenly felt, as four field players rotated through the net amidst a barrage of Wesleyan shots. The Wesleyan team, whose members moonlight as a D-III swim team, was at a high point of fitness coming off their season, while Yale's cannon-armed shooters seemed slower on the draw than usual after a month-long layoff.
Nonetheless, after an hour's respite, the team took the field against Coast Guard and enjoyed a redemptive 12-4 victory. Taking over the for the committee in goal was junior Paull Randt, freshly returned from a semester abroad in China, whose steady net-minding and timely passing keyed the offensive effort. Co-captains Jason George and David Williams and manager David Gerstle paced the attack with three goals apiece.
Finally, in the nightcap, the team's ambitions to overthrow the bragging rights of its coaches and alumni were turned back, as the aptly-named Hellfish used their cunning stratagems and devilish strength to cruise to an 18-8 win over Yale. The team's defense was unable to contain the Brobdingnagian combination of 2004 graduates Will Reid and Doug Hausladen, who combined for nine goals out of set, and the Hellfish never trailed, despite a fine first quarter for Yale which ended with the score tied at three. The Hellfish were also joined by seniors and soon-to-be alumni Evan Smith, Bryce Kaufman, Peter Swartz and T.D. Smith. For Yale, Williams and George also chipped in two goals each, as did player-coach Paul Mittermiller.
- Ross Macdonald
March 5, 2007 - Army Tournament
In a brief but intense day of tournament action at West Point, Yale emerged with three victories and an exhibition of promising play from the underclassmen vying for roles on the 2007 squad.
Yale's first opponent of the day was sometime Ivy League rival Columbia.
The team jumped out to a quick lead, including a rocket from up top that freshman Tom Thorpe fired to made it 2-0. Nonetheless, Columbia, the winner of the 2006 New York division CWPA championship, battled back to outscore Yale, with five goals going into the second quarter. The rest of the game, however, saw the Yale squad build and maintain a secure lead, as the final score of 9-8 suggested a somewhat closer game than it really was; during the last offensive series, Columbia only used five defenders, stationing a cherry-picker in front of the Yale cage. After the team failed to score, Columbia heaved the ball downfield and netted a lob goal to bring the score within a point as time expired.
The second game featured a rematch of the Feb. 2 scrimmage between Yale and the fledgling Boston University team in New Haven. Yale never trailed and controlled the tempo of the game from the beginning, cruising to a 13-3 win. The lead allowed coach Andy Lewandowski to substitute liberally from the bench, resting up the starters for the nightcap and giving substantial playing time to the team's reserves -- including Lewandowski himself, who blasted in a five-meter penalty shot for a goal.
The final match-up against tournament host Army was the day's most intense contest. Yale came out very strong, taking a 3-1 lead after the first quarter, but the second was its mirror image, leaving the score knotted 4-4 at the half. In the third, the tide turned again, with Yale staking out an 8-5 lead, but Army's notorious physical style began to stymie Yale's scorers, with the referees permitting some extremely aggressive 2-meter defense. After a defensive miscue, Army gained the ball with less than ten seconds to play and Yale nursing a tenuous 8-7 lead. As the buzzer sounded, Army rifled in an outside shot to send the game into overtime. The team conferred briefly and decided to go for the win by playing the starters. They remained in for both three-minute periods and eked out a 10-9 OT victory as the drivers, including player-coach Paul Mittermiller, succeeded in fighting off their defenders long enough to fire the ball into the cage.
Other teams in attendance included New England division rivals Williams and Coast Guard, as well as fall scrimmage opponents Fordham. The New York club team Asphalt Green rounded out the field.
- Ross Macdonald
February 10, 2007 - New Website
Welcome to the new website! Please know that many of the link locations have changed, but all the same information is available. Please look around at the new layout, and if you have any comments or questions, contact the webmaster.
February 2, 2007 - Thank You Donors!
This season we had an incredibly successful fundraising campaign, raising almost $14,000 dollars. Without this dedicated support from our donors, we could not perform at the level that we do as attending many of the highly competitive tournaments would prove too costly. Further, we were able to purchase a Colorodo System 5 controller so that we can use the swim team scoreboard for our matches. Soon we will be purchasing new shotclocks which are compatible with this system.
All this would not be possible without the generous support of our Alumni and team family donors. Thank you!