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de Castro-Abeger Scores Four to Lead Tufts Past Monmouth 9-6 for 2009 Division III Collegiate Club National Title
BRUNSWICK, Maine -- Alex de Castro-Abeger (Jr., North Hollywood, Calif.) scored four times, including three times in the fourth period, to earn Player of the Game honors and account for the difference as the Tufts University Jumbos overcame an early 2-0 deficit to defeat Monmouth College 9-6 for the 2009 Division III National Collegiate Club Championship on the campus of Bowdoin College.
The title marks the first National Championship in the history of Tufts water polo as the Jumbos become the sixth program this decade to capture the title joining Rochester Institute of Technology (2000, 2002), Trinity College (2001), Middlebury College (2003), Wesleyan University (2004, 2005) and Lindenwood University (2006, 2007, 2008). Overall, it marked both Tufts and Monmouth's first-ever appearances in the Division III title game.
For Tufts, which finished third the previous three seasons (2006, 2007, 2008), the Jumbos tie a modern record for the most consecutive Top Three finishes at the Division III Tournament, equaling three-time champion Lindenwood University which claimed three-consecutive titles the previous three seasons (2006, 2007, 2008) and placed third at the 2005 tournament.
The title game was also historic for Monmouth College as the third-year program which reached its first title game and improved five places over its previous Division III Tournament placements of seventh in both 2008 and 2007.
Both undefeated in league play entering the weekend with 11-0 marks after winning the Heartland (Monmouth) and North Atlantic (Tufts) Divisions, the teams put on a defensive show highlighted by sporadic scoring.
The Fighting Scots jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead on the Jumbos in the first period as Tom Pedersen (Jr., Chicago, Ill.) rattled the pipes with an eight-meter backhand at 6:53 and a shot which sailed just inside the post at 4:13 to give Monmouth the early advantage.
Tufts began to climb back into the game in the second period on back-to-back counter goals by Matthew Miller (Sr., Swarthmore, Pa.) and Braulio Rivas (Sr., Key Biscayne, Fla.) at the 6:34 and 2:52 marks, respectively, to tie the game up at 2-2.
Monmouth regained the lead 27 seconds later when Jeff Skalon (So., Hoffman Estates, Ill.) cashed in on an advantage chance, but the Jumbos stampeded back to knot the game at 3-3 before halftime as Miller tacked on his second marker of the day with four seconds remaining on the clock.
The Scots appeared to take control of the game to open the third period when Joe Moran (Sr., Naperville, Ill.) deposited back-to-back direct shots at 5:27 and 4:43 into the rear of the cage, but Tufts refused to give up.
Benji Koltai (So., Beverly Hills, Calif.) and de Castro-Abeger scored at 2:37 and 2:03 on a two-meter layout and a blast from the two-meter mark, respectively, to pull the Jumbos even at five-all and continue a trend of punch and counter-punch by the two teams.
Skalon struck next for Monmouth at the 1:47 mark with a shot from the wing to put the Fighting Scot back in front 6-5, but a penalty by Moran as time-expired in the third period allowed Tufts to knot the game at 6-6 when Matthew Burke (Jr., Miami Beach, Fla.) buried the ensuing five-meter penalty shot.
Needing a stop and offense in the fourth to close out Monmouth, Tufts turned to de Castro-Abeger on the offensive side of the tank and a slew of players in front of their own cage to rally for the victory.
It took de Castro-Abeger just 13 seconds into the period to tally the eventual game-winner as he broke through the Monmouth defense and uncorked a blast which drew nothing by string for a 7-6 lead. At 2:40, he buried another shot from two-meters out to cushion the lead before tacking on a second insurance goal with 1:11 to play for the 9-6 final.
In cage, Brian Canter (Jr., Willow Grove, Pa.) earned the victory between the pipes Tufts with 10 saves, while Frank Wasielewski (So., Chicago, Ill.) took the loss for Monmouth with seven saves.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | -- | Final | |
| Tufts University | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | -- | 9 |
| Monmouth College | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | -- | 6 |
Monmouth Goals: Joe Moran (2); Tom Pedersen (2); Jeff Skalon (2)
Tufts Goals: Alex de Castro-Abeger (4); Matthew Miller (2); Braulio Rivas; Matthew Burke; Benji Koltai
Saves: Monmouth - Frank Wasielewski (7) ; Tufts - Brian Canter (10)
Exclusions: Monmouth - 5 ; Tufts - 6
Advantage Opportunities: Monmouth - 1-of-6 ; Tufts - 1-of-5
