Air Force Splits Games In Opening Day at Fraser Memorial

Air Force men's water polo (16-12) split its two games in day one action at the Julian Fraser Memorial Tournament Saturday in San Jose/Santa Clara, Calif. The Falcons opened with a 23-9 win over UC Merced and fell to #19 Harvard 19-16.

In the opener against UC Merced in San Jose, the Falcons pulled away with an 8-0 second quarter. After playing to a 6-5 lead after the first quarter, the Falcons blew the game wide open with the big second quarter, to lead 14-5 at the half.

Six Falcons scored multiple goals in the game. Tom Leggett led the Falcons with four goals and five points. Jack Richards also scored five points, with three goals and two assists. Brady Kopperud had four points with two goals and two assists. Jake Dixon and Jackson Carter added three points each.

Luca Smith had six saves in goal for the win. Jay Pyle took over for Smith in the second half, recording five saves.

In the second game of the day, against Harvard in Santa Clara, an evently played game came down to the third quarter. Air Force played Harvard evenly in the first half, playing to a 9-9 tie at the half. The Crimson led 6-5 after the first quarter, but the Falcons took the advantage in the second quarter 4-3 to pull even.

Harvard outscored the Falcons 6-3 in the third quarter and that was the difference, as the teams tied 4-4 in goals in the fourth. Air Force pulled to within one goal with 3:20 left in the game, but the Crimson closed on a 3-1 run to end the game.

Richards led the Falcons with seven points on four goals and three assists. Leggett scored five goals and totaled six points. Leggett surpassed 500 career points in the game, becoming the first player in program history to surpass the mark.

Brady Kopperud had five points on two goals and three assists. Colin Chase had three points and Jake Dixon, Jackson Carter and Nicholas Cuenco had two points each. Smith had three saves in goal.

Air Force returns to action tomorrow with a game against Pomona-Pitzer in Santa Clara.

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