PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Wheaton College (Mass.) men's water polo team was defeated by host Division I Brown University, 14-9, this evening at Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Center in Providence, R.I.
The Lyons slip to 1-13 on the season, while the Bears improve to 18-8.
Wheaton was led by first year attacker Sean Spooner (Saline, Mich.) with a trio of goals to go with a steal and a field block. Junior attacker Spyros Rapsomanikis (Corfu, Greece) and first year center defender Ethan Vince (Dexter, Mich.) each had a goal and three assists apiece. Rapsomanikis also added a steal and two drawn exclusions. First year attacker Stefan Kecman (Chevy Chase, Md.) netted a goal in addition to an assist and a steal. Sophomore goalie Nic Boyer (Toledo, Ohio) stopped three of 14 shots in three quarters of play, before yielding to first year keeper Leo Upson (Woodside, Calif.), who turned away two of five shots.
Brown received two goals each from first year attacker Willem Anton (Interlaken, N.J.), junior utility player Dominik Balla (Szolnak, Hungary), sophomore utility player Jackson Meleney (Corona, Calif.) and senior Ramzi Megalli (Seattle, Wash.).
Rapsomanikis and Vince traded goals with senior utility player Máté Tymcyna (Eger, Hungary) and sophomore utility player Filip Josipovic (Nijmegen, Netherlands) to set the score at 2-2 with 4:33 left to play in the opening quarter. The Bears scored the next three markers, including a pair from Balla to cap the run and give the home team a 5-2 advantage. Junior attacker Josh Vander Wagen (Brookfield, Ill.) netted the final goal of the period to cut the deficit to 5-3 for the Lyons.
Both sides scored a pair of goals in the second quarter to keep it a two-goal difference. Meleney scored to give Brown a 7-4 margin, before sophomore center Bray Turner (Dallas, Texas) pulled Wheaton within 7-5 before the intermission.
The Bears tallied the first three goals of the third quarter, including a marker from first year attacker Andrew Gao (Port Chester, N.Y.) to give Brown a 10-5 lead with 5:03 showing on the third quarter clock. Spooner and Anton traded scores to end the quarter with the Bears owning an 11-6 advantage.
Senior Ryan Miele (Greenwich, Conn.) and senior attacker Theo Pliner (London, England) each found the back of the net to increase Brown's lead to 13-6 with 4:42 remaining in the contest. The Lyons closed out the contest with three of the final four goals, including two from Spooner to cut the deficit to 14-9 for the visitors to end the game.
Wheaton returns to the pool on Saturday, November 7 when it takes on Austin College at 10:00 a.m. EST at host Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill., while the Bears host No. 18 Harvard University tomorrow at 11:00 a.m.
