No. 13 Bucknell University-vs.-La Salle University Scoresheet (MAWPC Championship Game 1)
LEWISBURG, Pa. — 43 years ago this weekend, the motion picture of a determined fighter from South Philadelphia who fights the champions debuted on the screen. The movie – “Rocky” – went on to win best picture (and the fighter went on to claim the championship in the rematch). 43 years later, a determined water polo team from the other side of the city tried to take down the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC)-East Region regular champion as La Salle University took a 13-10 loss against host/No. 13-ranked Bucknell University at Kinney Natatorium in the opening game of the 2019 MAWPC Championship.
Courtesy the win, Bucknell (20-8, 10-2 MAWPC-East) returns to the MAWPC Championship semifinals for the fourth consecutive year as the Bison will return to the water at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 23, against the victor of a first round game pitting the United States Naval Academy against Wagner College. Bucknell swept both the Midshipmen (11-10 W, 14-10 W) and Seahawks (17-5 W, 10-8 W) in 2019.
La Salle (6-21, 1-11 MAWPC-East) will face the loser of the Navy-Wagner game at 1:00 p.m. with a spot in the championship’s Fifth Place game on the line.
Tied 10-all after three quarters of action, the Bison pummeled the Explorers with three goals over the final eight minutes of regulation with keeping out of La Salle’s reach.
A five-meter penalty shot by four-time MAWPC-East Region Most Valuable Player (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019) Rade Joksimovic (Sr., Novi Sad, Serbia/Gimnazija Jovan Jovanovic Zmaj) with 7:18 on the clock proved to be the deciding blow as the score pushed the Bison ahead to stay at 11-10.
Cooper Dolan (Sr., San Juan Capistrano, Calif./JSerra Catholic) inflated the margin to 12-10 with 6:29 on the clock prior to Jared Stanley (Jr., Palo Alto, Calif./Palo Alto) stuffing in some additional insurance at 5:55 to provide all Bucknell needed to earn the decision against La Salle and punch its ticket into the tournament semifinals at home in Kinney Natatorium.
The third meeting of the year between the two MAWPC-East programs, La Salle shocked Bucknell by landing the first scoring punches to claim the lead following the opening sprint.
Cole Strohson (Jr., Newport Beach, Calif./Corona del Mar) delivered the opening strike for the Explorers by beating Bucknell goalie Adrien Tourzot (Fr., Beirut, Lebanon/Brummana) with 6:40 remaining in the first quarter to a quick 1-0 lead. The Bison erased their deficit courtesy a man-up score by Andu Vlasceanu (Fr., Bucharest, Romania/Liceul Teoretic “Nicolae Lorga”), but Joey DeFusco (Sr., Henderson, Nev./Coronado) stuck the Bison back in a hole by heaving in another go-ahead score for La Salle at 4:18.
Joksimovic balanced the scoreboard at 3:32 via a five-meter penalty shot prior to the Explorers’ Daniel Domotor (Jr., Budapest, Hungary/Karinthy Frigyes Secondary) (2:28, man-up) and Joksimovic (five-meter penalty shot, 1:23) trading advantage scores to build and demolish a 3-2 lead for the squad from the City of Brotherly Love.
Bucknell claimed its first lead of the game 41 seconds into the second quarter as Vlasceanu sliced in a natural score – the Bison’s first of the contest – with 7:19 until halftime. La Salle answered the bell, however, as Domotor (5:52) and Luke Waechter (Sr., Penllyn, Pa./Boston University) (5:14) perpetrated back-to-back markers to push the Explorers back in front at 5-4.
The Bison squared the score at five-all and went at head 6-5 with 2:48 and 2:10 remaining in the first half as Logan Schofield (Sr., Maumee, Ohio/St. Francis de Sales) and Mitchell Scott (So., Vista, Calif./Vista) slipped shots past La Salle goalie Adriano Zunino (Fr., Lima, Peru/Broward College), respectively.
La Salle pulled even 68 seconds later as Tyler Williams (So., Sinking Spring, Pa./Wilson) torqued in an equalizing tally to make it six-all with 1:02 left on the clock. Bucknell regained the six ticks to go as Joksimovic ripped in a natural strike to provide the Bison a 7-6 margin after 16 minutes of back-and-forth action.
The lead expanded to a pair at 8-6 43 seconds into the third quarter as Vlasceanu sniped a score at 7:17. La Salle chipped its deficit down to one at 8-7 as Strohson lined in a shot at 5:49, but Joksimovic responded at 5:22 to once again hand the Bison a two-goal spread at 9-7.
La Salle took the scoring shots and responded in kind as Domotor landed even-strength uppercuts at 4:57 and 3:19 to square the squads at nine-all.
Schofield returned the lead to Bucknell at 10-9 with 2:16 to go in the third quarter, but Domotor landed one final blow for the Philly men at 1:50 to set-up the Bison’s fourth quarter flurry for victory.
For Bucknell, Joksimovic earned Player of the Game recognition for finishing with five goals. Vlasceanu (three) and Schofield (two) joined him in posting multi-score games, while Dolan, Scott and Stanley struck for single tallies. Touzot earned the win with nine saves.
La Salle, which proved their mettle during the regular season by stunning established championship program Navy by a 10-8 score on the road in Annapolis, received five goals from Domotor along with a pair by Strohson. DeFusco, Waechter and Williams all chipped in solo markers in support of an 11-save performance by Zunino.
Following the clash it is important to remember that the other Philly contender won the rematch.
A La Salle-Bucknell rematch in 2020? Don’t count out the Explorers.
| 1st Q | 2nd Q | 3rd Q | 4th Q | – | FINAL | |
| La Salle University |
3 | 3 | 4 | 0 | – | 10 |
| No. 13 Bucknell University |
3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | – | 13 |
| Bucknell Goals: | Rade Joksimovic (5); Andu Vlasceanu (3); Logan Schofield (2); Cooper Dolan; Mitchell Scott; Jared Stanley | |||||
| La Salle Goals: | Daniel Domotor (5); Cole Strohson (2); Joey DeFusco; Luke Waechter; Tyler Williams | |||||
| Saves: | Bucknell – Adrien Touzot (9) ; La Salle – Adriano Zunino (11) | |||||
| Exclusions: | Bucknell – 3 ; La Salle – 8 | |||||
| Advantage Opportunities: | Bucknell – 4-for-8 ; La Salle – 1-for-3 | |||||
| Sprints: | Bucknell – 1-for-4 (3rd) ; La Salle – 3-for-4 (1st, 2nd, 4th) | |||||
| Cards/Misconducts: | None | |||||
| Officials: | Josh Kratz ; Igor Mernenko | |||||
Bucknell University’s Cooper Dolan (#6) prepares to lob a shot as La Salle University’s Jeff Brady (#12) attempts a field block
La Salle University’s Cole Strohson (#4) shoots over Bucknell University’s Andu Vlasceanu (#23)
Four-time Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019) Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Most Valuable Player Rade Joksimovic (#22) eyes the cage as La Salle University’s Daniel Domotor (#7) defends
Bucknell University’s Andu Vlasceanu (#23) tries for a steal from La Salle University’s Joey DeFusco (#11)
