PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Austin College men's water polo team performed well in its historic debut as a varsity program on Saturday as the 'Roos took on NCAA Division I programs Brown University and Bucknell University. The 'Roos fell 16-7 to Brown, ranked No. 15 nationally in Division I, and 18-7 to Bucknell, which came in ranked No. 20 in the nation at the Division I level.
"First and foremost I was really proud of our team," said head coach Mark Lawrence. "Today went as expected. As a young team we had some really positive moments and some tough quarters. The men did a great job of using both good and bad moments to learn and grow."
Will Koelzer scored the first goal in program history in the team's game against Brown, as the 'Roos trailed 4-1 after one quarter and 8-2 after two. A big third quarter saw Austin College score four goals and pull to within 13-6, but the Bears put the game away with a 3-1 scoring edge in the fourth.
Brett Skinner and Andrew Pope each scored two goals, while Nico Masso, Alex Rodriguez, and Koelzer had a goal apiece. Goalie Andrew Pomier had 10 blocks.
In the second game of the day for the 'Roos, the 'Roos fell behind 10-0 after the first quarter, and found themselves down 15-3 at halftime. The 'Roos outscored the Bison in the final two quarters, but by then the deficit had grown too large to overcome for Austin College. Pope and Sam Skinner each scored twice, and Pomier earned seven blocks in the defeat.
"Today we showed our potential," said Lawrence. "Tomorrow will be another opportunity to gain experience as we play two more great programs."
The 'Roos take on Harvard and MIT tomorrow in Cambridge, Massachusetts.