Brown University
Harvard
Kirchberg, Weiser Lead No. 12 Men's Water Polo Past Harvard, 16-12
10/11/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Water Polo
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Sophomore Tyler Kirchberg netted five goals, junior goalie Luke Weiser made 17 saves, and No. 12 Brown University men's water polo topped Harvard University, 16-12, at the Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Center on Sunday night.
The Bears (13-3, 7-0 CWPA North) outscored the visiting Crimson (7-7, 5-3 CWPA North), 9-1, over the second and third quarters to turn a 4-3 deficit after the first frame into a 12-5 lead after three periods. Brown defeated Harvard in CWPA Northern Division play for the second time this season after edging the Crimson in Cambridge, 10-9, in overtime on Sept. 19.
Kirchberg (Orinda, Calif.) paced the Bears' offense while junior Warren Smith (Dallas, Texas) and sophomore Rico Burke (San Mateo, Calif.) scored three and two goals respectively with Burke adding an assist.
Senior Matty Gallas (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) and junior Yahel Murvitz-Lahav (Tel Aviv, Israel) each posted a goal and two assists. Senior Will Klein (Pasadena, Calif.), junior Jake Wyatt (Corona Del Mar, Calif.), sophomore Tommy Bush (Lafayette, Calif.), and freshman Spencer Carroll (Newport Beach, Calif.) charted one goal apiece.
Between the pipes, Weiser (Los Alamitos, Calif.) turned aside five shots in the second quarter, four in the third, and six in the fourth while tacking on an assist.
After Harvard opened the game's scoring, Burke connected on a one-time shot off a pass from Murvitz-Lahav to knot the score at 1-1. The Crimson scored again before Kirchberg netted a skip shot from Gallas in response. The visitors took a 4-3 lead after the first stanza with two more markers despite a goal 5-meter goal from Smith.
Murvitz-Lahav started Brown's decisive 9-1 run with a goal from beyond the 5-meter mark, and Kirchberg followed with a 6-on-5 goal to give Brown a 5-4 edge. Gallas scored on a penalty shot midway through the second stanza, and Smith buried a no-look shot from the inside off a pass from Burke to put the hosts up 7-4 heading to the break. Weiser's five saves helped to blank the Crimson in the quarter.
The Bears continued a run of seven straight goals as Carroll led off the second half's scoring with a helper from Murvitz-Lahav. Klein then scored off a feed from Gallas, and Kirchberg netted a goal off the Harvard block as Brown gained a 10-4 advantage. Harvard responded with a penalty-shot tally before Burke and Smith logged goals to extend the hosts' edge to 12-5 after three periods.
Harvard made a rally in the fourth quarter, posting two goals in the period's first 1:34. After a Bush goal from the left wing, the Crimson posted back-to-back goals to pull within 13-9 with 4:34 to play. A pair of Kirchberg goals bookended a Harvard goal off a penalty shot, and Wyatt scored on a penalty shot of his own in between two Harvard markers to conclude the scoring.
As part of the match-up, Brown hosted its "Breast Cancer Awareness Game" with proceeds from donations benefitting the Brown University Oncology Group (BrUOG). The Bears' staff donned pink polo shirts for the occasion.
Next, Brown continues CWPA Northern Division play at St. Francis Brooklyn on Sat., Oct. 17 at 1 p.m. in a game originally scheduled for Sept. 27. The Bears will then compete in the Ivy Championship at Princeton on Sun., Oct. 18.
Brown 16, Harvard 12
Brown....................... 3…4…5…4…16
Harvard..................... 4…0…1…7…12
Brown Goals: Kirchberg 5, Smith 3, Burke 2, Bush, Carroll, Gallas, Klein, Murvitz-Lahav, Wyatt.
Brown Saves: Weiser 17.
