PRINCETON, N.J. — The Bucknell University men’s water polo team dropped a pair of games to ranked opponents on the second day of the 2023 Princeton Invitational hosted by Princeton University at DeNunzio Pool. The Bison began the day with a 14-8 loss to No. 15-ranked California Baptist University before falling to No. 18 Harvard University, 14-4, in an evening game.
Bucknell fell to 1-5 on the season, with four of the five losses coming to teams in the top 20 in the official National Top 20 rankings.
Against Cal Baptist, the Bison and Lancers went back and forth throughout the first half, with neither team leading by more than a single goal. Bucknell led on four different occasions the last at 6-5 after a Jack Bruce goal with 5:28 left in the second quarter.
Cal Baptist scored the final two goals of the half to take a 7-6 lead at intermission, and then the Lancers scored the first three goals of the third quarter to open up a four-goal cushion.
Shay Gullearn, Hasan Mogultay and Sean Michael Tunnicliff scored two goals apiece, and Bruce and Ian Schultz tallied one each.
Bodhi Bowden paced the Lancers with four goals, while Toby Bumgardner added three.
Facing Harvard, Bruce, Walker Butler, Aleksa Stefanovic and Doruk Ozar scored for the Bison, but they could not overcome Harvard’s 5-0 run to start the game.
Kaleb Archer and Owen Hale tallied three goals apiece for the Crimson.
Release courtesy Bucknell University Athletics Communications
