PRINCETON, N.J. – The Bucknell University men’s water polo team dropped an 18-10 decision to No. 10-ranked/host Princeton University before falling in a closely-contested 12-10 overtime decision to St. Francis College Brooklyn in the nightcap of the 2022 Princeton Invitational at DeNunzio Pool.
In the opener for the Bison, Princeton used an 8-1 run to start the game en route to claiming an eight-goal victory over the Bison. Bucknell managed to close the game to five in the third quarter on Ethan Jones‘ career-best third goal of the day, but the homestanding Tigers kept things in control the rest of the way by maintaining at least a six-goal advantage until the final horn.
Bucknell was held scoreless until the 21-second mark of the first quarter, when Aleska Stefanovic found the back of the cage to break the nearly eight-minute scoreless streak. However, the Tigers responded with two more goals to take a commanding 9-3 lead at the halftime break.
Jones, Stefanovic and Andu Vlasceanu, the latter making his season debut, each chipped in three goals for Bucknell in the defeat. Jack Murad added Bucknell’s other marker in the final minute of the fourth quarter.
Taking on St. Francis Brooklyn in the nightcap, Bucknell battled in its first overtime game of the season. The Bison claimed a 9-7 lead with 2:27 remaining in the third via a goal by Jack Lewis‘. However, the Terriers tied the game at nine eight minutes later with 2:27 remaining in the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime. The two teams exchanged goals in the first overtime period, before SFC Brooklyn managed two unanswered goals in the second OT frame to claim the win.
Neither team led by more than two goals until Lewis’ goal in the third quarter, with the contest experiencing seven ties and four lead changes up to that point. The Bison could not extend their two-goal cushion through the remainder of regulation, as goals from the Terriers at the 6:41 and 2:27 mark of the fourth sent the game into overtime.
SFC took the lead for the first time since the 1:19 mark of the second quarter to start the first overtime period, before Murad added Bucknell’s response with 59 seconds remaining in the OT period.
However, the Bison were held scoreless the rest of the way, as SFC broke the deadlock with 2:24 to go in the second overtime before adding an insurance goal with 17 seconds remaining to claim a 12-10 victory.
Doruk Ozar scored three times in the defeat, while Jones and Stefanovic each added multiple tallies.
Release courtesy Bucknell University Athletics Communications
