ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The No. 16-ranked United States Naval Academy water polo team improved to 18-5 on the season and 7-2 in the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) as the Midshipmen manged Mercyhurst University, 18-3, and Bucknell University, 13-10, at Lejeune Hall.
“Any day that you play two conference games and come away with two wins is a good day,” head coach Luis Nicolao said after the game. “We came out strong in the first game against Mercyhurst. We were able to play some guys that work hard every day at practice, but might not always get as much playing time as they would like. Those guys made the most of their opportunity today during the win. Against Bucknell, we didn’t come out as sharp as I would’ve liked, but credit to the guys of staying focused and patient and doing what they needed to do to come away with the win.”
Fifteen different Midshipmen found the back of the net on the day, including 10 that scored multiple goals.
Kiefer Black paced the offense with five goals on the day, while Aiden Berry, James Mulvey and Jack Pointner scored three goals apiece. Maximus Arnold, Quinn Bartlett, JB Bergstedt, Austin Kahn, Luke Kirincich and Tanner Lustig added two apiece, while Declan Murphy, Hudson Parks, Jack Reif, Luka Sekulic and Billy Zech also scored.
Navy opened the day with a decisive victory over Mercyhurst.
Navy established dominance immediately, opening the match with a 5-0 run sparked by back-to-back goals from Pointner. Mercyhurst briefly interrupted the streak with their first goal, but Kahn and Kirincich (netting his second of the quarter) quickly answered to give the Midshipmen a commanding 7-1 lead.
In the second quarter, the Midshipmen continued their relentless offensive pace with another five-goal run, showcasing their depth as five different players – Berry, Pointner, Bergstedt, Lustig and Arnold – found the back of the net. Mercyhurst managed to slip one past the defense late in the frame, making it 12-2 at halftime.
Navy’s defense pitched a shutout in the third quarter, while the offense continued to pour it on. Five different Midshipmen scored again, with Parks, Berry, Murphy, Kahn and Lustig extending the lead to a 17-2 advantage heading into the final frame.
With the game firmly in hand, the scoring pace slowed significantly. Bergstedt netted his second goal of the match to push the lead to 18-2 before Mercyhurst added a late consolation goal, finalizing a decisive 18-3 victory for Navy.
In the second game of the day, the Midshipmen had to rally to record a 13-10 victory over the Bison.
Bucknell jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead to start the game, but Navy quickly recovered. Black put the Midshipmen on the board, and Mulvey followed up with a goal to tie the game at 2-2 by the end of the opening frame.
The Bison reclaimed the momentum early in the second quarter, netting back-to-back goals to go up 4-2. Navy showed resilience again, tying the game at 4-4 with strikes from Zech and Reif. However, a late Bucknell goal gave them a narrow 5-4 advantage heading into halftime.
Bucknell started the second half hot, building their largest lead of the game at 7-4 and holding onto an 8-5 advantage midway through the quarter. Then, Navy completely flipped the script. Sparked by Black’s second goal and a five-meter penalty shot from Sekulic, the Midshipmen exploded for a 5-0 run – highlighted by back-to-back goals from Q. Bartlett and capped by Mulvey – to storm ahead 10-8.
Navy kept its foot on the gas as Mulvey and Black scored early in the final frame, extending the Midshipmen’s massive scoring surge to seven unanswered goals and a 12-8 lead. Bucknell managed to snap the streak, but Black fired back with his fifth goal of the game to ice a 13-10 comeback victory for Navy.
Information courtesy United States Naval Academy Athletics Communications
