PRINCETON, N.J. — The No. 16-ranked Bucknell University men’s water polo team split two games taking down No. 14 California Baptist University, 12-10, before falling in the nightcap to No. 18 Harvard Univeristy, 14-10, at the Princeton Invitational hosted by Princeton University at DeNunzio Pool.
Bucknell used a four-goal third quarter to propel the Bison to a narrow victory over the Lancers of Cal Baptist in the first game of the day. A four-goal third quarter pushed the Bison to an 11-8 lead, and the Bison held on in the fourth quarter to take a win over a ranked opponent for the first time this season.
The two teams remained close throughout the entire contest, staying within one goal throughout the first half as the teams remained deadlocked at six. However, it was a strong third quarter that propelled the Bison in this one, as four straight goals from Hasan Mogultay, Josh Yardley and Shay Gillearn helped the Bison overturn an 8-7 deficit into an 11-8 lead.
California Baptist pulled a goal with 2:11 remaining after answering with two straight goals of its own, but Mogultay came up with a big insurance goal with 1:44 remaining as the Bison defense kept the Lancers off the board for the remainder of the game.
Bucknell used a balanced attack in the win, as seven different Bison found the back of the cage. Yardley led the way with three goals, while Jack Lewis, Mogultay, and Walker Butler each scored multiple goals. Gillearn, Doruk Ozar and Ethan Jones also scored a goal for the Bison in the win.
Much like the opening game of the day, Harvard and Bucknell remained within one goal of another for the majority of the opening half before the Crimson broke open a 3-3 tie in the second by scoring four of the next five goals to take a 7-4 lead at the break.
Harvard continued its run on the other side of the halftime horn, extending the lead to 10-4 before a goal from Bucknell’s Lewis made the score 10-5 with 4:40 to go in the third. The Bison pulled within two, 11-9 in the fourth after Yardley converted at the 5:52 mark of the period, before the senior scored once more at the 5:08 mark to pull the Bison within one, 11-10, with 5:08 to go. However, the Crimson kept the Bison off the board the rest of the way in taking a 14-10 win in a rematch of the 2019 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship play-in game.
Yardley led the way with four goals for the Bison, while Ozar and Vlasceanu added two goals each.
Release courtesy Bucknell University Athletics Communications
