When captain Robbie Burmeister’s injury prevented him from starting in the men’s water polo contest against Brown last Thursday, Harvard—sporting a shaky 2-7 record and five straight losses—was surely nervous about its prospects for victory. Defense would be especially crucial to the team’s success against the Bears, for the Crimson had already dropped four one-goal games this season.

Any doubt Harvard had about its future was quelled last week by an outstanding performance in the cage from freshman John Connolly. The rookie, who was probably nervous taking the pool in the intense Ivy rivalry, did not falter in defending the Crimson goal. Before the game, he engaged in his regular pre-game routine of eating a huge meal, listening to heavy metal, warm up with the same swimming routine. His preparation paid off.

“I was definitely amped before the Brown game,” Connolly said. “It was the first really challenging opponent I’d played against as part of Harvard water polo. I didn’t want to let in goals that Robbie would block; the team has really come to depend on him so much especially when running a drop.”

Connolly gave up six goals in the match, but they hardly mattered. More importantly, he notched 12 saves and gave Harvard its first one-goal win, proving that even without Burmeister in goal, the Crimson can still compete with teams in its division.

“I think he has done incredibly well in his role,” Burmeister said of his teammate, whom he endearingly refers to as “Prote-J.” “He really is a great goalie and he has picked up the college game and our system flawlessly.”

Even with the hostile crowd ready to distract Connolly, he remained calm and held Harvard’s delicate lead for the final 1:30 of the game.

“If he was nervous he didn’t show it,” Burmeister said. “I think he was really focused.”

On Sunday, Connolly held Connecticut College scoreless for over three periods, tallying another 12 saves. He gave up just one goal in the Crimson’s 8-1 win over the Camels, extending the team’s win streak to two games.

Harvard’s defense, which had been struggling up until this past week, was able to rely on Connolly to direct them in the pool. From the net, Connolly has the best view of the pool and is responsible for helping his teammates position themselves.

“He does a good job of organizing the defense so he is seeing shots that he is ready for, which makes the defense really effective,” Burmeister said.

Though Connolly is only a freshman, he feels he has the support of his team and does not worry about resistance when yelling to his elder teammates.

“The upperclassmen have made it so that everyone’s on the same page at this point,” Connolly said. “It already feels like we’ve got each others’ backs.”

Connolly’s teammates have confidence that he knows the game and is telling them the right thing to do in critical situations.

“He’s really composed for being a freshman playing a high pressure position,” Burmeister said. “In the past two games he has just been very consistent, which is great for the defense.”

While Burmeister is expected to return to play shortly, Harvard will always be able to thank Connolly for helping to drag them out of an early-season slump.

—MEGHA PAREKH