Men’s Water Polo Extends Win Streak to Eight With Wins Over Brown and MIT

No. 11 Harvard men’s water polo (12-2, 5-0 NWPC) continued its dominant run, successfully defending home court with back-to-back victories over conference rivals No. 19 Brown (8-5, 3-2) and MIT (3-11, 0-5). The pair of victories extends the Crimson’s win streak to eight games.

The weekend became even more memorable for Harvard as junior utility James Rozolis-Hill solidified his place in Harvard history, breaking the program’s elusive all-time goals record. Already the holder of the two highest scoring seasons in team history, this latest milestone cements Rozolis-Hill’s status as a Harvard legend. Remarkably, he remains on pace for a third consecutive 100-goal season — a milestone that no other Harvard player has achieved once.

“That’s definitely one of the biggest highlights of my water polo career,” Rozolis-Hill said. “Just to be a small part of the long and renowned history of the world’s greatest institution is something that I’ll remember forever. To do it in front of people who I love and care about and helped me get to where I am today has been awesome.”

Harvard 18, Brown 10

Harvard’s successful return to Blodgett Pool began with a commanding performance in its 18-10 victory over Brown, showcasing its offensive firepower and defensive resilience. Rozolis-Hill led the way with seven goals and senior attacker Owen Hale contributed a hat trick in the winning effort.

The game began slowly for the Crimson, as Brown jumped to an early 2-0 lead. Rozolis-Hill retaliated quickly, scoring a tap-in to tie the program’s goal record. The ensuing offensive possession, Rozolis-Hill uncorked a cross-cage shot off the post to equalize and break the program record. Rozolis-Hill completed the first quarter hat trick with a penalty shot, earning Harvard a 3-2 lead. In the last second of the period, junior goalie Tanner Furtak fired off a shot across the length of the pool just in the nick of time to give Harvard a 4-2 lead after period one.

The Crimson’s hot streak continued in the second quarter with Stothart and freshman attacker Dean Strauser netting back-to-back goals, extending the lead to 6-2. The Bears quickly called a timeout, attempting to stem the tide, but a turnover in its next offensive possession followed up by a Strauser skip shot only cemented Harvard’s superiority in the contest. Harvard closed the quarter on a 3-1 run to enter halftime sporting a 10-3 lead.

“We have a really strong two sided attack,” Rozolis-Hill said, crediting the all-around team effort. “When defenses game plan, it’s hard to pinpoint what exactly we do. That makes us so potent.”

The third quarter saw more of the Rozolis-Hill show, with the junior standout personally outscoring the Bears 3-2 in the period. Rozolis-Hill displayed every skill in his offensive repertoire, spinning off defenders, firing off skip shots, and scoring a no-look shot to end the quarter with Harvard leading 13-5.

Harvard’s defense remained consistent in the fourth quarter, forcing Brown into a shot clock violation on its first possession of the period. Hale completed his hat trick with two goals in the period. While Harvard fell short of its internal team goal — Rozolis-Hill said that the Crimson aims to hold every team under eight goals of holding opponents — it still emerged victorious, 18-10.

Harvard 21, MIT 9

Coming off its win over the Bears, Harvard delivered a dominant 21-9 victory over crosstown rival MIT, with contributions from all corners of the pool. Five Crimson players netted braces, showcasing the team’s depth and offensive balance while sophomore utility Jack Burghardt and sophomore attacker Vilas Soogard-Srikrishnan capped the day with hat tricks. The win marked Harvard’s 26th straight victory over MIT, a streak that dates back to 2012.

Defense stood out initially, as the teams remained scoreless after three minutes in the pool. The Engineers opened the game’s scoring, but the Crimson responded to each MIT goal, resulting in a 2-2 standstill. Stothart muscled his way through two Engineers for a goal, followed up by a Strauser goal off the power play, ending the period with a 4-2 Harvard lead.

Hale quickly fired off two shots from distance, extending Harvard’s lead to 6-3. Burghardt then entered the score sheet, posting up an MIT defender and scoring from close range. The Crimson returned to its dominant perimeter shooting with Soogard-Srikrishnan netting two goals in the period, putting Harvard up 12-5 at the break.

Following the break, MIT committed a pair of exclusions that the Crimson capitalized on with goals from Strauser and Burghardt, widening the lead to 14-5. After conceding a penalty, Harvard embarked on a 4-1 run capped off by Burghardt completing his hat trick to reach a score of 18-7.

Soogard-Srikrishnan opened the scoring in the fourth quarter, completing his hat trick by firing a powerful shot that ricocheted off the Engineers’ goalkeeper. Harvard’s offensive dominance allowed for squad rotation, leading to senior attacker Rishi Mohan scoring his first goal of the season and sophomore attacker Emile Labrador netting his second career goal. Harvard reached its peak lead of 21-7, before the Engineers added two more goals in regulation to reach the final score of 21-9.

The contest marked the fourth time this season that Harvard has held opponents under 10 goals, an impressive level of defensive consistency. Rozolis-Hill saw the game as another step in the right direction for a Crimson squad brimming with potential.

“I think this group is special, it's one of the most talented teams I’ve been a part of,” he said. “We know that defenses win championships. It's essential to the game. We’re taking the steps in the right direction to be one of the best defensive teams”.

Harvard will stay at Blodgett Pool this weekend, where it is hosting the Harvard Invitational, starting today with a doubleheader against Chapman University and San Jose State University, with streaming available on ESPN+.

—Staff writer Oscar E. Mercado can be reached at oscar.mercado@thecrimson.com.