LEWISBURG, Pa. — The McKendree University men’s water polo team concluded play at the Bucknell University Invitational by falling to the host Bison, 8-7, and topping Mercyhurst University, 21-12.
Facing Mercyhurst, McKendree turned a 4-2 lead after the first quarter in a 17-7 lead after 24 minutes as the Bearcats outscored the Lakers, 13-5, in the second and third quarters, respectively.
Six Bearcats scored multiple goals in the win as freshman center Cale Koester (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way Central) and junior center Breno Tebet (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Golden West College) combined for nine goals. Koester tallied five, including four in the second period, while Tebet had four markers, including two in a seven goal second quarter.
The other Bearcats with two or more scores in the win included fifth-year senior attacker Tony Sunagawa (Chino Hills, Calif./Chino Hills) tallying three goals, while sophomore attacker Schuyler Cramer (Thornton, Colo./Horizon), sophomore center defender Alex Napawan (Chesterfield, Mo./Parkway Central), fifth-year senior attacker Nico Rodriguez (Bogota, Colombia/Oviedo) and freshman center Dylan Veccio (Miami, Fla./Belan Jesuit Prep) each had two tallies.
Sunagawa scored the first goal of the game for the Bearcats in the opening 35 seconds, before Mercyhurst scored two straight goals to take a 2-1 lead just a little under four minutes into the contest.
Tebet, Sunagawa and freshman attacker James Ramey (St. Louis, Mo./Ladue Horton Watkins) each scored a goal to give McKendree a 4-2 lead after the opening eight minutes.
The Bearcats scored the first four goals of the second quarter to push ahead 8-2. Following two goals by the Lakers to move Mercyhurst within 8-4, a pair of markers from Koester and a solo strike by Tebet enlarged the Bearcats’ lead to 11-4 with 2:19 left in the first half. Mercyhurst netted two of the final three goals in the second quarter to cut McKendree’s lead to 12-6 by halftime.
After the two teams traded goals to open the third quarter, the Bearcats capped the frame with four consecutive scores, including two from Cramer, to take a 17-7 lead.
In the fourth quarter, Mercyhurst outscored the Bearcats, 5-4, to close out the scoring. Napawan (two), Veccio and Koester each scored for the Bearcats in the closing minutes of the contest to preserve the victory.
The Bearcats drew four exclusions in the win as Rodriguez accounted for a pair, while Koester and Sunagawa each notched one.
Mercyhurst received four of its 12 goals from Danilo Vujovic with Teagan Thomas tacking on a pair.
Earlier in the day versus Bucknell, the Bearcats held a 4-2 lead at halftime before the Bison rallied for the win with a 6-3 scoring margin in the second half to claim an 8-7 victory.
After the two teams were tied at two after the opening quarter before the Bearcats used second quarter goals from Koester and Rodriguez to claim a 4-2 halftime lead.
Bucknell turned the tables on McKendree by scoring four of the five goals in the third quarter to take a 6-5 lead. The Bearcats’ lone goal came at the 5:56 mark of the frame from sophomore attacker Jespyn Bishop (Brighton, Colo./Brighton) to move McKendree within 5-4.
The Bison pushed their lead to 7-5 to start the fourth quarter, but the Bearcats inched within one following a goal by Sunagawa. Facing the potential of a Bearcats’ rally to force overtime, Bucknell tacked on its eighth goal with 3:21 left in regulation to regain a two-score lead. The Bearcats inched back within a goal courtesy a strike by Rodriguez with 3:05 on the clock but were unable to post the equalizer down the stretch.
Bucknell received four goals from Andu Vlasceanu in the win.
Information courtesy McKendree University Athletics Communications
