It translates to “beaver field marketplace” — roughly.
Hódmezővásárhely, Hungary, a town of 44,000 near the Romanian border, is the home of Kristóf Kovács, the sophomore goalkeeper on the men’s water polo team. It was in this southeastern Hungary town that Kovács first jumped in the pool, beginning a journey that would take him to Denunzio Pool in New Jersey and a Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) Championship title in his debut season.
With Kovács as an anchor, men’s water polo enjoyed a historic 2023 run with a program-record 28 wins in 2023, reaching the Final Four of the National College Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament for the first time since its expansion in 2013 — representing the entire East Coast against the historic powerhouses of California.
Kovács began his water polo career as a casual childhood activity.
“At first, it wasn’t very serious. I enjoyed being in a team, I was enjoying playing water polo, and I just kept doing it,” Kovács recalled.
As he developed, Kovács joined professional water polo clubs, picking up various honors and goalkeeping awards during his time as a club player before eventually gaining the attention of the Hungarian national team in 2022. Representing Hungary at the 2022 LEN European U19 Water Polo Championship, Kovács helped his country earn the bronze medal — though he had aspirations to take his talents across the Atlantic.
“One of my friends who studied in the States came home because of COVID, and he practiced with my team, and he told me how great it is,” he continued. “[He said] I should just give it a try, and so eventually, I started reaching out to coaches.”
The most eager of these coaches turned out to be Princeton head coach Dustin Litvak.
“I was sold by Kristof’s first video he sent me,” Litvak wrote to the ‘Prince.’ “Our vision was simple. In order to be one of the best teams in the country, we needed one of the best goalies in the world.”
“[Coach Litvak] set up a Zoom call, and we talked for like an hour or something,” Kovács shared. “Basically, I chose Princeton because Dusty [Litvak] introduced a good vibe to me: He was very helpful, he was always reaching out to me, he had everything.”
Coach Litvak felt similarly, writing that he was “extremely impressed with our conversation. He was humble, hungry, very self-reflective, and eager for the challenges that a school like Princeton brings.”
Kovács expressed extreme gratitude for his teammates’ support in the recruitment process.
“When I passed the language test [and] got into Princeton, a bunch of guys texted me, that I didn’t even know, and were like, ‘Hey, welcome to Princeton! It’s gonna be a great four years,’ and it was so great that people who I don’t even know just congratulate me and welcome me.”
Kovács shared how he had a positive transition as an international student.
“It was kind of a shock how the community was so tight and how they were willing to help each other,” he recalled. “Immediately when I landed, my teammates were so welcoming and helpful that it immediately calmed me down and so I’m really thankful for them and how they treated me … it made the introduction to the United States much easier.”
Easing his transition to life in the United States was the strong support Kovács received from home. He recalled how his father would watch live streams of his games in the wee hours of the morning due to the time difference back home in Hungary.
“My dad always watched my games in-person at home, and it’s kind of tough for me and for him as well that he can’t watch me in person anymore,” he explained. “So, my dad always wakes up at, I don’t know … 3 a.m. at home to watch the game, so I definitely feel their support and we always talk … about the game.”
Kovács’ smooth transition to his new home reflected in his performances. He split game time as a first-year with then-sophomore goalkeeper West Temkin, but each match he inched closer to earning the number one spot.
“We were very fortunate to have both Kristof and West Temkin last year, arguably the two best goalies in college water polo,” Coach Litvak wrote. “They made practices very competitive and made my life very difficult in deciding who to play.”
Ultimately, Kovács, with his “consistency … energy, his competitive fire and passion for the sport” as lauded by Coach Litvak, earned the starting goalkeeper position.
By the end of his first season, Kovács played a key role in Princeton’s historic 2023 season that saw them reach the semifinals of the NCAA tournament for the first time since the tournament’s expansion in 2013.
On the way, he allowed just five goals from 26 shots, with a career-high 21 saves in the Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) Championship final against Harvard and made an impressive 15 saves against the then-ranked No. 6 University of California-Irvine in the NCAA quarterfinals.
Kovács’ feats earned him a number of accolades, including the NWPC All-Tournament First-Team and becoming an Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) All-America Honorable Mention. But as much as the awards mean to Kovács, his focus is always on the team.
“It definitely feels nice to get nominated and to win some of these awards,” he said. “But it means nothing if [the team] doesn’t win. It feels great when we win, knowing that I added something to this win, that I helped the team.”
Following Kovács’ outstanding first season, his goalkeeping partner Temkin transferred to play for the No. 2 Stanford Cardinals, leaving Kovács as the sole goalkeeper on the roster this season. His departure left a big hole — having at least two goalkeepers is useful in team practices.
“Compared to last year, I get much more reps during practices and during games because basically I’m in the water the whole time, which is very tiring,” he continued. “But I think it’s going to be beneficial at the end when it comes down to the physical.”
Since Temkin’s departure, Kovács has played nearly every minute of every game this season, only being subbed off for a few minutes in blowout wins. With all the time he has spent in the water, Kovács has been the backbone of this year’s Tiger squad. With six NCWP Defensive Player of the Week awards this season, Kovács is proving why he was named to the 2024 Men’s Water Polo Cutino Award Watch List.
“I am the last line [of defense], so I can see the holes,” Kovács said. “I think it’s really important for a goalie to communicate and navigate the defense, but of course, there are gonna be mistakes, and my job is to save them.”
“We have to keep him healthy and monitor his minutes in practice and in some games, as playing every minute of every practice and game is extremely taxing,” coach Litvak added.
Indeed, keeping Kovács energized in the water will be crucial to the Tigers’ hopes of competing for a national competition — something no team outside the West Coast has ever accomplished.
Since speaking with the ‘Prince,’ Kovács has helped Princeton secure the NWPC regular season title after key victories against rivals Harvard and Brown and the hosting rights for the NWPC tournament.
By clinching the title after a season that saw him spend almost every minute of the clock running in the water, Kovács has proved he is ready for anything that comes his way. Still, though, his favorite part about being on the Princeton team “is the people … I feel like everyone is everyone’s best friend.”
As one of the nation’s best, Kovács has established himself as the face of Princeton water polo, and his teammates and coaches could not be more excited.
“It’s contagious. He’s a born leader,” Litvak wrote.
Bryant Figueroa is a staff Sports writer for the ‘Prince.’
Please send corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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