LEWISBURG, Pa. — The Division III No. 4-ranked Johns Hopkins University water polo team lost to host Bucknell University, 15-7, in a Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) contest before rebounding to double-up Mercyhurst University, 14-7, on the first day of the 2022 Bucknell Invitational at Kinney Natatorium,
Taking on the host Bison in both programs’ MAWPC opener, graduate student Emerson Sullivan tied the game at one early in the opening quarter, but the Bison answered with three straight goals to take a 4-1 lead at the break. Junior Cameron Burns began the second-quarter scoring 30 seconds in and freshman Quint Steffey followed with a goal at 4:59 to pull the Blue Jays within one at 4-3.
Bucknell responded with another three-goal run to push out to a 7-3 lead but a Steffey goal in the final minute made it a 7-4 game at halftime.
The Bison opened the third quarter with back-to-back goals to push out to a 9-4 lead. Junior Liam Housenbold got one back for the Blue Jays, but Bucknell had the final say of the quarter to go up 10-5.
The Bison scored the first three goals of the fourth quarter to extend their lead to 13-5 with 4:08 to play. Junior Paul Gensbigler ended the run with a goal at 2:59 for the Blue Jays. Bucknell then sandwiched a pair of goals around one from Sullivan in the final two minutes to account for the 15-7 final.
Against Mercyhurst, the Lakers grabbed a quick two-goal lead in the game’s opening 76 seconds. Steffey got Hopkins on the board at 4:02 and sparked a three-goal run as the Blue Jays took a 3-2 lead into the break. Freshman Gavin Brooke and senior Kami Eslami continued the run with back-to-back goals and the Jays led 5-2. The Lakers answered with a two-goal run of their own to pull within one, but a Brooke goal at the 2:47-mark sent Hopkins into the half with a 6-4 lead.
The Lakers pulled back within one midway through the third, but the Jays answered with goals from freshman Jason Mihalopoulos and Sullivan to go up 8-5. The teams traded scores in the final 46 seconds of the quarter and Hopkins led 9-6.
Mihalopoulos opened the fourth-quarter scoring and ignited a four-goal run as the Blue Jays pushed out to a 13-6 lead with 3:07 to play. Mercyhurst ended the run at the 2:30-mark, but Sullivan would have the final say of the game, scoring with 48 ticks on the clock to make it a 14-7 game.
Release courtesy Johns Hopkins University Athletics Communications
