Courtesy of Clarus Multimedia
Connecticut College is home to 28 different varsity sports teams, all striving to be the best and prove why the Camels are a force to be reckoned with. If a prospective student and their family came to visit the campus in the fall, they are bound to come across an array of athletic events. From action-packed soccer matches on Tempel Green to high-intensity field hockey games on Silfen Turf, there is plenty of excitement to go around. However, there are several teams that may receive less attention and celebration around campus. The men’s water polo team competes throughout the fall season, swimming vigorously and competing passionately in Lott Natatorium. This is a team that has recently moved conferences and is preparing for what is shaping up to be one of their best seasons yet.
The Connecticut College Camels men’s water polo team has recently shifted to the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) conference. Established in 1992-1993, this conference was founded “to provide enhanced competition and championship opportunities for sports without conference affiliation, to contain the costs of competition, and to ensure the survival of endangered sports” (MP Sports). Now in its 34th season as a collegiate conference, the MPSF is looking to “foster contraction and expansion of its sports portfolio to meet the dynamic needs of its members” (MP Sports). Last year, the Camels competed amongst several Division I teams, including Harvard, Brown, and Princeton, while this year, the team will be joining an entirely Division III conference. The Camels will compete in the DIII Eastern Division alongside Augustana, Austin College, new addition Johns Hopkins, Penn State Behrend, Washington and Jefferson, and Wheaton College.
The MPSF recently hosted the first annual collegiate water polo media day on August 18th at the Costa Mesa Marriott in Costa Mesa, California. The media day featured Division I head coaches and one student-athlete in attendance, with all Division III coaches and each team’s representative student-athlete on Zoom. Led by John Abdou, the Executive Director of the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC), individual interviews were conducted with each head coach, followed by a student-athlete panel. Head coach Matt Anderson and senior Carson Neidart ’26 were the Camels in attendance. The College Voice had the opportunity to also attend media day and hear both Anderson and Neidart ’26 speak about the program and the 2025-2026 season.
Coach Matt Anderson is entering his 12th season as the Camels’ head water polo coach for both the men and women. Prior to this, he served as the head coach for the University of Michigan Wolverines, where he led the team to four NCAA Tournament appearances and was also crowned the CWPA Western Division Coach of the Year six times. Under Anderson, Connecticut College’s men’s team has “set school records for most wins in a four-year span three consecutive times” (Camel Athletics). When he took over the program, there were only seven members on the men’s team. Fast forward twelve years, and Anderson now coaches a full roster with over twenty athletes, providing him with more depth at every position. Anderson spoke on the effects of Covid, describing how there were no possible recruit visits on campus. While recruiting became more challenging, Coach Anderson was still able to gain valuable assets for his team, including Carson Neidart, who also attended the MPSF media day. He coined Neidart as a “workhorse that just doesn’t stop and is better than you would expect him to be.” He goes on to add that Neidart “has turned into a front-line player” who has also helped draw in more recruits across his four years on the team.
A utility player from West Palm Beach, Florida, Neidart described the Connecticut College men’s water polo team as “close, connected, and a bonded family.” He noted that “Coach [Anderson] makes everything so much easier and makes everything happen.” When asked about this upcoming season and the current team, he had nothing but high praise. Young talent combined with the established foundations from last year is what is going to propel this year’s team to success in the new conference. Coming off a year with the most wins Neidart has seen in his college career and having only lost three seniors, he is confident and eager about the shift to the MPSF and his senior water polo season.
Much like Neidart, Coach Anderson also expressed his excitement about this group and their potential to have an extraordinary fall season. He shared his anticipation about the incoming “newcomers” and their abilities to have immediate impacts in the pool. Joining the MPSF, he stated, “allows the opportunity to play peers while also getting to understand what a complete conference is.” Anderson touched on his coaching journey and this full circle moment that he is experiencing, having begun coaching at Salisbury in the MPSF prior to his arrival at Connecticut College. However, at the end of the day, he was keen on conveying the importance of schools such as Conn and their role in balancing the lives of student-athletes between academics and athletics.
“Division III is truly what a student-athlete is,” he shared.
Through pride for his institution and gratitude for his players like Neidart, Coach Anderson concluded his media day interview looking forward to the future.
“This year’s team is easily the best team we’ve had since 2017, when we finished second in Easterns for Division III.”
The first annual collegiate water polo media day hosted by the MPSF was an excellent opportunity to showcase the growing exposure of the sport and to highlight the successes of both Division I and Division III schools across the country. With Connecticut College well represented, excitement about the Camels’ season is building. The men’s season begins in Annapolis, Maryland, on September 13, with a first match against Penn State Behrend and a second against Mount St. Mary’s (Md.). The Camels are also set to host Iona University in Lott Natatorium on October 27th for one of two home matches of the season. The once niche sport of water polo is gaining exposure both across the New London campus and the country. This season, come out and support Head Coach Anderson, Carson Neidart, and the rest of the stellar student-athletes as they aim to cause trouble in their new conference this year. The College Voice hopes to be able to attend the next media day, with increased support for the sport in each consecutive year.
