The Bison men’s water polo team jumped out to a 3-1 record in their 2021 season after taking home two victories against La Salle and George Washington University this past weekend. Both games were nail biters, with the Bison coming out on top 9-7 against La Salle and 8-7 to GW. These games will be the Bison’s final preparation for the upcoming MAWPC Championships which will be held next weekend, March 6-7. 

The Orange and Blue were locked at 3-3 with La Salle at the conclusion of the first quarter of their first match of the day. It was in the second quarter of the game when the Bison were able to take a lead with two unanswered goals, making the score 5-3 at the end of the first half. In the second half, the two teams battled back and forth, but the Bison were able to secure a slim 8-7 win with three more goals in the second half.

“The weekend was a great set of games for us because we played two physical games against teams we will definitely be seeing in our championship games. A lot of players stepped up to reinforce our play style of getting the ball around and slowing down the game. Two wins always feels great, but our team is ready to keep the momentum going while we head into championships this weekend” goalkeeper Adrien Touzot ’23 said. 

In a rematch from the 2019 MAWPC Championship, the Bison faced George Washington. The Bison pulled out a victory in the competitive matchup. The game proved to be a defensive battle between the two ranked teams, but Touzot gave the Bison the edge in the cage. 

The two teams went back and forth from start to finish, with neither team leading by more than two goals during the contest. The Bison were able to hold off GW’s final charge to claim the victory with an incredible defensive show out and take a 8-7 over the Colonials. 

“We’re just excited for the opportunity to play and have some fun with our best friends playing the sport we love to do most,” Colby Paine ’23 said. Paine and the rest of the men’s water polo team are excited to be able to have some games under their belt as they head into the championship portion of their short season. 

The Bison will prepare this week for the MAWPC Championships, being held this upcoming weekend in Annapolis, Md. at the Naval Academy.