Water Polo springs from Natatorium to Nationals

Author: Jake Cohen

At the start of the season, things looked troubling for the Middlebury men's water polo team. After being placed in a more challenging New England Division that includes Yale and Boston College, everyone knew getting to Nationals would be tough.

But the water polo players rose to the challenge when the challenge seemed insurmountable. As the third-seeded team in last weekend's New England Division championship tournament, the Panthers' only real advantage was that they were playing in their home pool.

Led by a core group of seniors including captains Robbie Burton '08 and Andrew Herzik '07.5, though, the Panthers swam to a surprising victory, topping Dartmouth and Yale on Oct. 27, before edging Boston College 8-7 in the championship game on Oct. 28.

The Yale game was just as close, if not closer. With only a minute left, down by two, the Yale polo players suddenly grew flippers, out-swimming Middlebury up and down the pool to tie the game. The Bulldogs proceeded to hit the crossbar twice as time was winding down, but their second shot ricocheted to the middle of the pool and into the hands of Patrick "Cob" Burton '10.

Patrick Burton gained control of the loose ball and threw a pass intended for Satoshi Kido '08, a serious offensive threat, but luckily for Patrick Burton, the ball landed in his brother's hands. The 6'7" Robbie deftly slid the ball by the Yale goalkeeper as time expired, keeping the dream season alive.

Despite this heroic play, fitting for the captain of the team, the elder Burton notes that this year's team is not one of all-stars and last-minute heroics, but role players.

"This weekend was a team win above anything else," he said. "Herzik, our best offensive player, didn't even score a goal in the first two wins."

And, as a testament to the team, he did not have to.

"The most surprising and pleasing element of this season was the bench," said Robbie Burton. "Each of those players knew their role well, understood their role well and played exceptionally well. Without them, we could not have won."

Matt Sullivan '08 also excelled in the pool over the weekend, never coming out to rest for the entire tournament.

For each team, Middlebury had to employ different strategies. Against Dartmouth, the Panthers reset their offense to put more pressure on the goalie upfront. Then, against BC in the championship game, they arranged a special crash defense to focus on inhibiting a scorching offense.

With the victory over BC, the team heads to Tuscon, Ariz. for club Nationals to face teams with larger programs. The first game is against Virginia Tech, then Michigan State and eventually the University of Arizona.