NORTON, Mass. — The Wheaton College (Mass.) men's water polo team fell to visiting Connecticut College, 22-8, this afternoon at Balfour Natatorium on the Wheaton campus. The contest was part of the Bruno Classic, co-hosted by Brown University.
The Lyons slip to 0-2, while the Camels improve to 1-1 on the season.
Wheaton held a 44-43 shooting edge in the game, but Connecticut College was able to connect at a higher rate than its host.
The Camels asserted themselves in the middle quarters, owning a 4-1 margin in the second quarter and a 6-1 advantage in the third.
Sophomore utility player Connor Tompkins (Oakley, Calif.) led the Lyons with four goals and first year utility player Spyros Rapsomanikis (Kerkyra, Greece) registered a pair of goals and two steals. First year 2-meter defender Josh Vander Wagen (Brookfield, Ill.) recorded three steals and scored a goal. First year goalie Dylan Boccali (Ventura, Calif.) made eight saves for Wheaton.
First year attacker Thomas McDonough (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) tallied a game-high seven points, including five goals, to lead Connecticut College. Sophomore attacker Jeffrey Harrington (San Diego, Calif.) scored five times and added an assist, while 2-meter player Cormac Stevens (Philadelphia, Pa.) potted four goals. First year goalie Artem Kyselov (Dnipro, Ukraine) stopped 24 shots for the visitors.
The Camels netted the first two goals of the game behind scores from sophomore 2-meter player Cormac Stevens (Philadelphia, Pa.) and sophomore attacker Jesse Ellis (Fresno, Calif.) in a span of 36 seconds. Tompkins and Rapsomanikis countered for the Lyons with goals in a stretch of 28 seconds to pull the home team even at 2-2 with 4:50 left in the opening period.
Connecticut College effectively put the game out of reach over the next 21:45 of play, outscoring Wheaton, 16-3, to take an 18-5 advantage with 7:05 remaining in the fourth quarter. Harrington sparked the offensive explosion for the visitors with five goals, while Tompkins (2) and Vander Wagen (1) accounted for the trio of Lyon markers.
Wheaton netted the game's next three goals with scores from Tompkins, Rapsomanikis and first year 2-meter player Michael Ruemelin's (Chicago, Ill.) first collegiate tally to cut the deficit to 18-8 with 5:22 showing in the fourth quarter.
The Camels closed out the match with the final four goals of the afternoon, including three from McDonough.
Connecticut College returns to action on Saturday, September 21 when it travels to Erie, Pa. to take on Mercyhurst University at 9:00 a.m., while the Lyons play Washington & Jefferson College on the same day at the same place at 10:30 a.m.
