Boys’ Water Polo
Coaches
Results
The Tigers welcomed perennial powerhouse Phillips Exeter in a matchup in the Andy Lowe Pool. Exeter who had a strong season last year, looked to continue with their excellent aquatic sports history and begin their season on a strong note. Suffield fresh off a tough game against Greenwich Country Day School looked to bounce back and have a strong second game of the season.
Early foul trouble for starter Fischer Stevens that lead to quick goals left the Tigers in a tough spot early in the matchup. The Tigers had a strong second quarter and looked to be playing tough against the more experienced squad. Unfortunately, the Tigers were unable to match the pace set by Exeter in the second half. Captains Kellen Booth and John Rusnock both looked strong in the matchup. Booth netting four goals, Rusnock with 2. Scoring was also added by Junior Parker Valero (1) in his first game of the season.
Despite the disappointing final score, 22-7 in favor of the away team, Suffield looked much stronger in the matchup than they did in last year’s game against Exeter. There were many things to be optimistic about and the matchup made clear what the Tigers need to work on in order to compete with the upper echelon of teams in the league. The Tigers look to have a stronger performance against another powerhouse in Choate Rosemary Hall, away on Wednesday.
The Tigers traveled to Choate Rosemary Hall this week for a matchup with the Wild Boars who have been very strong in recent years. Choate is coming off a two-win first week of the season and looking to improve to 3-0 in league play. Suffield looking to grab their first win of the young season.
With no warmup, the Tigers looked dull in the first quarter. The opening period showcased serious talent from the Boars, leading to an 8-1 lead for the home team. With some adjustments from the Suffield Coaching Staff, and finally beginning to find their legs, the Tigers had a strong second quarter playing the Boars tough and notching 5 goals to the boars 6 in the quarter. Any momentum that seemed to be gained in the second quarter was lost in the third. Choate amassing 8 goals to the Tigers’ 3 in the period. The tigers did not give up, however. Determined to finish the game strong, the Tigers rallied and outscored the Boars in the final period of the game three to one.
Scoring was once again led by Senior Captain Kellen Booth (6). Strong performances and scoring from Senior Shalin Patel (2), Junior Fischer Stevens (3), and Junior Aidan Ryder (1). The load in goal was shared by both Aidan Ryder and Fischer Stevens amassing 10 saves between the pair. Final score Choate Rosemary Hall 23, Suffield Academy 12.
The Tigers look to their next game, a matchup with St. John’s Prep in Danvers, Massachusetts, for a chance to secure their first win of the season and hopefully gain some confidence heading into a stretch of home games in the Andy Lowe Pool.
The Suffield Tigers welcomed Loomis Chaffee to the Andy Lowe Pool for what proved to be a thrilling match in the pool. The Tigers looked flat without Senior Captain, and team leading scorer, Kellen Booth playing center, letting up 3 goals early in the first period. After a timeout, the Tigers regained their composure and locked down on defense ending the first quarter with a 3-0 deficit. Despite the weak start, Suffield came out ready to play in the second quarter. Sophomore, Weck Pool, opened up the scoring on a fast break after receiving the brilliant pass from Senior, Herman Troshin. Parker Valero and John Rusnock also netted a shot each to pull the lead to within 1, Tigers down 4-3 going into halftime. Senior Alex Cha was exactly the spark that the Tigers needed off the bench, netting the only two goals in the third quarter to take a 5-4 lead into the fourth quarter. Despite the switch in momentum in the second and third quarters, the Tigers again found their offense being stifled by the Loomis defense. Unable to have a shot reach the back of the net in the fourth quarter, Loomis was able to even the score before the end of the period. Heading into overtime, which would feature two three minute periods, the Tigers looked to be deadlocked with their opponents. Loomis’ DeVos was able to find the back of the net twice in overtime giving Loomis a lead with little time remaining, but Parker Valero was able to score two of his own in overtime to keep the score tied at the end of the second overtime period. We were heading to sudden victory. After winning the opening swim off, Senior John Rusnock made a smart play, and with a fantastic pass from Junior Fischer Stevens, found an opening in the Loomis defense that he was able to exploit and end the match with a powerful shot.
Scoring in this game was lead by Junior Parker Valero (3), Senior Captain John Rusnock (2), and Senior Alex Cha (2). Another goal was added by Sophomore Weck Pool, and Saturday showcased another strong outing for Junior Goalkeeper Aidan Ryder who amassed 12 saves in the matchup.
Suffield now holds a 3-3 record overall, and a 2-3 record in league play. Suffield will welcome Westminster to the Andy Lowe Pool on Monday, September 30, where the Tigers look to extend their win streak to 4 games.
Schedule
Roster
# | Name | Class | Hometown |
---|---|---|---|
8 | Kellen Booth | 2025 | Wallingford, CT |
12 | Alex Cha | 2025 | Vernon, CT |
Conley Chen | 2027 | Los Altos, CA | |
Evan Du | 2028 | Dublin, CA | |
Connor Hudkins | 2028 | Farmington, CT | |
George Hunt | 2025 | Avon, CT | |
17 | Haruka Kajiwara | 2025 | Chiba-ken |
18 | EJ Lee | 2026 | Seoul |
Liam Parise | 2027 | West Simsbury, CT | |
9 | Shalin Patel | 2025 | Hopkinton, MA |
6 | Weck Pool | 2027 | Sea Cliff, NY |
Matt Quesada Gama | 2027 | Mexico CDMX | |
16 | John Rusnock | 2025 | Suffield, CT |
1A | Aidan Ryder | 2026 | New York, NY |
13 | Fischer Stevens | 2026 | Suffield, CT |
4 | Herman Troshin | 2025 | Moscow |
Tilden Wasley | 2025 | Pasadena, CA | |
15 | Blake Wool | 2026 | Manchester, CT |
Ryan Yoon | 2028 | Leonia, NJ |
Team Overview
Water polo was established as a varsity sport at Suffield in 1979. The team has generally been built around a combination of experienced players and athletes new to the sport when they arrive at Suffield.
The Tigers’ competitive teams have qualified for the New England Prep School Championship tournament [a.k.a. “the Liquid Four”] in eight of the last ten years, including a second place finish in 2015 and an undefeated championship season in 2009. Hard work, perseverance, and camaraderie, as well as respect for teammates and competitors, are traditional hallmarks of the water polo team.
Suffield’s Varsity Water Polo team plays a mixture of single games and mini-tournaments throughout the season against New England Prep School league schools such as Deerfield, Exeter, Andover, Choate, Brunswick, Williston, Hopkins, Hotchkiss, and Loomis Chaffee, as well as non-league competition from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, including the season-ending New England Prep School Championship tournament.