ERIE, Pa. – The Washington & Jefferson College men's water polo team (1-6) dropped the first two matches Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Conference Games against the Wheaton (Mass.) Lyons (1-10) and the Connecticut Camels (2-8).
 
W&J 13, Wheaton 16
The Lyons opened the first quarter with a 4-3 lead. Goals from the Presidents came from sophomore Brody Souder (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) with two and freshman Ciro Pro (Chicago, Ill./St. Rita of Cascia) with the third.
 
Wheaton opened a gap between the Presidents to give them the 10-6 edge halfway through the contest. Junior Dillon Parker (Nipomo, Calif./Central Coast New Tech) got his first goal of the game. Sophomore Hector Santaella (Key Biscayne, Fla./Belen Jesuit Prep) scored two goals in the quarter.
 
The Presidents responded with a strong third quarter, closing the gap to 13-11. Parker and Santaella got their second goals of game. Senior captain Aidan Miller (Grove City, Ohio/St. Charles Prep) got on the score sheet for the first time. Pro picked up the final two goals in the quarter to give himself a hat trick.
 
W&J tried to make a run in the fourth as Souder and A. Miller both picked up their second goals. The Presidents ultimately fell flat in the final quarter, dropping a 16-13 decision.
 
W&J 8, Connecticut 20   
The Presidents kept the game tight after the first quarter with the Camels. Junior captain Timothy Deutsch (Hazleton, Pa./Hazleton) got the Presidents on the board with a solo goal.
 
Connecticut started to pull away in the second quarter, outscoring the Presidents in the quarter 7-1.  Sophomore Joseph Aranda (Albuquerque, N.M./Menaul School) scored the lone goal of the quarter for W&J. 
 
The Presidents battled the Camels in the third quarter. Freshman Topher Mitchell (Annapolis, Md./Loyola Blakefield) got his first tally of the contest. Additionally, Aranda picked up a second goal to close out the quarter.
 
W&J tried to put a comeback together but fell short. Deutsch had three goals in the quarter to bring his total tally to four on the game.
 
The Presidents look to regroup during day two of the MPSF Regional hosted by Penn State Behrend. The Presidents take on the Augustana Vikings at 10:50 a.m. and the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays at 3:20 p.m.