An early offensive point cushion was enough to help guide the No. 15 Princeton men's water polo team to a 7-5 victory over George Washington to open the conference slate. The Tigers were unable to carry over its early momentum, as No. 17 Navy dropped Princeton, 13-10, to conclude Saturday's action.

At GWU, Sam Butler opened up Princeton's 3-1 first quarter rally. The two-goal differential would prove crucial as both sides played fairly evenly for the remainder of the game. The Tigers went up 4-2 at the break.

Both Princeton and GWU traded goals in the second half, finishing with three goals apiece.

Butler had a goal, an assist and a steal, while Matt Weber led the offense with two goals. Drew Hoffenberg tallied a team-best five steals, two assists and a goal in the game.

Goalie Ben Dearborn made 11 saves in Princeton's first conference win of the year.

In game two at Navy, Princeton was unable to sustain its offensive control, as the Midshipmen handed the Tigers a 13-10 loss.

The Mids took a 4-2 lead in the first quarter and remained in control before halftime, improving their lead to 8-3.

Princeton worked to claw back from its deficit, but a 7-5 run in the second half would not be enough.

Tim Wenzlau led the offense with three goals, while Bulter and Hoffenberg each had three steals. Butler also notched three assists.

Dearborn and Alex Gow split halves in goal, combining for 16 saves.

Princeton (6-4, 1-1 Southern) will next head to Johns Hopkins for a Sunday matinee matchup tomorrow at 2 p.m.