A fifth-place finish at this weekend’s Southern Championships has ended the GW men’s water polo team’s season, as the Colonials failed to advance to the Eastern Championships for the second consecutive year.
This season, GW lost just one match and won three.

Princeton University handed the U.S. Naval Academy a 6-5 loss to capture Southerns Sunday afternoon, held in Annapolis, Md., reclaiming a title they last won in 1999. Princeton, Navy and John’s Hopkins move on to Easterns in two weeks, where the winner will earn a berth to compete for the national championship.

The Colonials entered this tournament a fifth-seed because of their finish at the Collegiate Water Polo Association crossover weekend tournament two weeks ago.

GW lost its opening round game to Bucknell University, a 12-6 defeat. The Colonials hadn’t beaten Bucknell all season, losing two previous contests by one point.

Head Coach Scott Reed said Bucknell shutdown GW’s top shooter, sophomore Pat Dodge, and the Colonials could not capitalize on available shooting opportunities. This has been the team’s Achiles’ heal.

Dodge was allowed only one shot and the team could not overcome a 6-2 halftime deficit. They finished the game 6-for-17 shooting, led by senior Josh Gimpelson’s three goals.

No other teams collapsed on Dodge as Bucknell did, Reed said, enabling GW to win their final three contests. GW defeated Slippery Rock University 10-9 for fifth place. “It was a nail biter,” Reed said.

The Colonials defeated Washington and Jefferson College Saturday morning 13-7 and defeated Grove City College that night by 17-5. Gimpelson scored five goals. Both Dodge and senior Spencer Hugret scored four apiece against Grove City.

Reed said he was pleased with his team’s performance in the 2001 season, given the amount of uncertainty surrounding the team. Reed said he didn’t know how his seniors would step up as leaders on the team.