LEWISBURG, Pa. — The Division III No. 9-ranked Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) water polo team scored 39 goals en route to a 2-0 record on the opening day of the Bucknell Invitational hosted by Bucknell University at the Kinney Natatorium. The Engineers saw 15 different players score a goal during the day as the team topped Mercyhurst University, 24-11, and Mount St. Mary’s University, 15-10.
Mixing with Mercyhurst to open the weekend, MIT took a 5-2 lead after eight minutes of play. Armeet Gill and Caspar Lightner scored twice for the Engineers during the opening frame, while Andras Beleznay opened the scoring with a six-on-five strike.
Mercyhurst began to chip away at the MIT lead in the second quarter as the Lakers pulled to within one at 7-6 off a goal from Petar Vujovic. Lightner scored three-straight markers, including a pair of penalty shots, to close the quarter with MIT in the lead, 10-6.
Beleznay increased the MIT advantage to five and tacked on another goal after a goal from Ben Gavran cut the Engineers’ lead to four. William Ewald and Luca Morocco scored back-to-back goals to give MIT a 14-9 advantage and Lightner added his sixth to increase the MIT lead to 15-9. The Engineers got the final two tallies of the third quarter via scores by Jake Schweizer and Joshua Woren to send MIT into the final quarter with a four-goal lead.
The Engineers outscored the Lakers 7-1 in the contest’s final eight minutes as Lightner, Beleznay, David Ranaudo, Jackson Kay, Nicholas Soule and Jae Wykoff dented the twine for MIT to cap off a 24-11 win.
Twelve Engineers scored in the game, led by a career-high seven for Lightner. Lightner is the seventh Engineers’ player in program to score seven goals in a match.
Woren, Morocco, Wykoff and Charlie Baker all got their first collegiate goals. Woren also made three saves in cage.
Schweizer led the way with four steals. Kieran Kearns and Kunal Rajadhyax each dished out pairs of assists.
Taking on Mount St. Mary’s, the Engineers held a 3-2 lead after eight minutes of play. Kay got the scoring started, while Rick Lundh added the other two goals for MIT as the Mountaineers stayed within striking distance during the opening frame.
A three-goal run to open the second quarter allowed MIT to expand its lead to 6-2. The Mount stopped the Engineers’ scoring spurt courtesy a goal by Neven Cerkez. Goals from Lightner and Lundh constructed a 9-5 margin for MIT before Cerkez scored with six seconds left in the half to send the teams into the break with the Engineers possessing a 9-6 lead,
It was a five goal third quarter between the two teams as Rajadhyax and Lightner put away shots for the Engineers to make it a 12-8 contest heading into the final quarter of action.
Aaron Tarr scored to make it a 12-9 match before back-to-back goals from Schweizer and Lundh expanded MIT’s lead to five.
The teams traded goals in the waning minutes of the game as Beleznay made it a 15-score contest for the Engineers prior to a last-second goal from Cerkez accounting for the 15-10 final score.
Lundh led the way with four goals while Lightner and Beleznay both notched hat-tricks.
The Engineers offense saw eight different players record a goal to support an 11 save, one steal effort by Woren..
Kearns finished with two assists.
Information courtesy Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Athletics Communications
