MIT Advances to NWPC Semifinals, Defeats Iona in Historic Performance
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Massachusetts institute of Technology (MIT) men’s water polo team secured a historic victory over Iona University on Friday, November 22, 2025, at the Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) Championship held at Brown University’s Katherine Moran coleman Aquatics Center. The Engineers defeated the Gaels 15-11, marking the first time in program history they have reached a conference semifinal round. This win also guarantees MIT no worse than a fourth-place finish in the 2025 NWPC Championship.
Freshman Caspar Lightner of San Diego, California, led MIT with four goals, earning him Player of the Game honors. The Engineers (8-18) overcame a 5-3 halftime deficit with a dominant second-half performance, outscoring Iona 12-6. The victory propels MIT into a semifinal matchup against the top-seeded Princeton University on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time. Iona (8-17) will compete in the Fifth Place game at 11:00 a.m. against the loser of the Brown University versus Long Island University contest.
The game saw a significant shift in momentum after halftime. Junior Rick Lundh initiated the comeback with a goal at 7:32 of the third quarter, narrowing the gap to 5-4. While Pavle Musikic responded for Iona, MIT quickly answered with goals from Lightner and junior William Ewald, tying the score at 6-6. A back-and-forth exchange followed, with rastko Jevdjovic briefly regaining the lead for Iona, only for MIT to surge ahead with goals from Lundh (penalty shot), senior Adam Ivatorov, and another from Lightner, establishing a 9-7 advantage. Musikic managed to close the gap to 9-8 before the end of the third quarter,setting the stage for a decisive final period.
MIT seized control in the fourth quarter, scoring four consecutive goals in the opening minutes courtesy of Lightner (penalty shot), junior Jackson Kay, sophomore Derek Schaffer (man-up), and Ivatorov, extending their lead to 13-8.Although Jayden Arana scored for Iona, breaking MIT’s run, the Engineers maintained their composure. Kunal Rajadhyax and Lightner added further goals to solidify the victory.
This result represents a significant milestone for the MIT water polo program, building upon a history of consistent advancement within the NWPC and its predecessor conferences.Prior to the NWPC’s formation, MIT competed in the Collegiate Water polo Association (CWPA) Eastern Championship, achieving placements of Eighth (2004, 2012), Seventh (2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2015), Sixth (2003, 2010) and Tenth (2014). Since the inception of the NWPC, MIT has consistently placed Fifth (2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024) and Sixth (2017, 2022) before
MIT Engineers Advance to NWPC Semifinals, Defeat Iona University 15-11
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Engineers secured a historic victory over Iona University on Friday, November 22nd, at the 2025 Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) Championship. The Engineers defeated the Gaels 15-11, marking the first time in program history they have reached the conference semifinal round.This win also guarantees MIT no worse than a fourth-place finish in the championship tournament, hosted at Brown University’s Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Center.
The No. 5 seeded Engineers (8-18) overcame a 5-3 halftime deficit with a dominant second-half performance, outscoring No. 6 seeded Iona (8-17) by a score of 12-6. Freshman Caspar Lightner of San Diego, California, led the offensive charge with four goals, earning him Player of the Game honors.
“This is a significant milestone for our program,” commented a team representative. “Reaching the semifinals and securing a top-four finish demonstrates the dedication and hard work of our student-athletes.”
Key Moments & Turning Points:
The third quarter proved pivotal in shifting the momentum in favor of MIT. Trailing by two goals at the half, Rick lundh initiated the comeback with a goal at 7:32, narrowing the gap to 5-4.Following a goal by Iona’s Pavle Musikic, Lightner and William Ewald scored consecutive goals to tie the game at six apiece.
MIT continued to build on their momentum, with goals from Lundh (penalty shot), adam Ivatorov, and another from Lightner, establishing a 9-7 lead heading into the final quarter. Iona’s musikic managed to close the gap to 9-8 with a late third-quarter goal, but the Engineers responded emphatically.
The fourth quarter saw a decisive surge from MIT, as Lightner, Jackson Kay, Derek Schaffer, and Ivatorov each found the back of the net in the opening minutes, extending their lead to 13-8. While Iona attempted to rally, the engineers maintained control and closed out the game with a final score of 15-11.
Individual Performances:
* Caspar Lightner (MIT): 4 Goals (Player of the Game)
* Rick Lundh (MIT): 2 Goals (including a penalty shot)
* Adam Ivatorov (MIT): 2 Goals
* pavle Musikic (Iona): 2 Goals
* Jayden Arana (Iona): 2 Goals
Looking Ahead:
MIT will now face the No. 1 seed, princeton University, in the NWPC Semifinals on saturday, November 23rd, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Iona University will compete in the Fifth Place game at 11:00 a.m. against the loser of the Brown University versus Long Island University matchup.
Historical Context:
Prior to the establishment of the NWPC, MIT competed in the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Eastern Championship, achieving finishes of Eighth (2004, 2012), Seventh (2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2015), Sixth (2003, 2010) and Tenth (2014). As the creation of the NWPC, MIT has consistently placed within
MIT Engineers Advance to NWPC semifinals, Defeat Iona university 15-11
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Engineers secured a historic victory over Iona University on Friday, November 22, 2025, at the Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) Championship. The Engineers defeated the Gaels 15-11, marking the first time in program history they have reached the conference semifinal round. This win also guarantees MIT no worse than a fourth-place finish in the championship tournament,hosted at Brown University’s Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Center.
The No. 5 seeded Engineers (8-18) overcame a 5-3 halftime deficit with a dominant second-half performance,outscoring No. 6 seed iona (8-17) by a score of 12-6.Freshman Caspar Lightner of San Diego, California, led the offensive charge with four goals, earning him Player of the Game honors.
Key Moments & Turning Points:
the third quarter proved pivotal in shifting the momentum in favor of MIT. Trailing by two goals at the half, the Engineers began a steady climb back into contention. Rick Lundh initiated the comeback with a goal at the 7:32 mark, narrowing the gap to 5-4. After a response from Iona’s Pavle Musikic, MIT rattled off three consecutive goals courtesy of Lightner, William Ewald, and another from Lundh – including a successful five-meter penalty shot – to take a 9-7 lead. Despite a late goal from Musikic to close the third, MIT carried a narrow 9-8 advantage into the final frame.
The Engineers continued their offensive surge in the fourth quarter, extending their lead and ultimately securing the 15-11 victory.adam Ivatorov contributed significantly to the scoring effort, while Lightner added another goal to complete his four-goal performance.
Historical Significance:
This semifinal appearance represents a significant milestone for the MIT water polo program. Prior to the formation of the NWPC, the Engineers competed in the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Eastern Championship, achieving a highest finish of sixth place on multiple occasions. Since the inception of the NWPC, MIT had consistently placed between fifth and sixth in the championship tournament, until this year’s breakthrough performance.
Looking Ahead:
With this victory, MIT advances to the NWPC semifinals where they will face the No. 1 seed,Princeton University,on Saturday,November 22nd at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time.Iona University will compete in the Fifth Place game at 11:00 a.m. against the loser of the Brown University versus Long Island University matchup.
Scoring Summary:
* MIT: Caspar Lightner (4), Rick Lundh (2), William Ewald (1), Adam Ivatorov (1), Pavle Musikic (1) and other contributors.
* Iona: Pavle Musikic (2), rastko Jevdjovic (1) and other contributors.