LOS ANGELES – The Princeton Tigers men’s water polo team fell to No. 3 USC, 15-13, on Saturday despite a strong start and a late rally. finn LeSieur led the Princeton offense with three goals, while Ádám Peocz also contributed a hat trick.
Princeton jumped to an early 2-0 lead with back-to-back goals from LeSieur. tigran Sennett added another goal, giving the Tigers a 3-2 advantage after the first eight minutes.USC responded in the second quarter, scoring four goals to take a one-goal lead at halftime.
The Trojans extended their lead to five goals,but Princeton battled back,fueled by goals from Sennett,LeSieur – who completed a hat trick with a goal in the final second of the third quarter – and later,Peocz on a six-on-five possibility. Princeton outscored USC 4-3 in the final quarter, with Taylor Bell and Peocz each scoring twice. Despite the comeback, the Tigers were unable to overcome the deficit, with the final score settling at 15-13 in favor of USC.
LeSieur and Peocz each finished with three goals to lead Princeton. Bell and Sennett each scored twice, while luke Johnston, Enrique Nuño, and Tas Palcza added one goal apiece.
Princeton continues its road trip with a second meeting of the season against UC Irvine on Wednesday at 6:00 PM PT/9:00 PM ET.
