BRONX, N.Y. — The McKendree University men’s water polo team opened up play at the 2022 Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Championship with a 16-11 win over Gannon University at the Col. Francis B. Messmore Aquatic Center on the campus of Fordham University.
With the win, McKendree advances to a 4:40 p.m. Eastern game against the host/No. 18-ranked Rams of Fordham University.
McKendree improves to 7-17 on the season, while Gannon falls to 8-16 on the year.
The contest marked the third match-up this season between the two schools as McKendree won the last two match-ups after Gannon picked up a 13-12 win over the Bearcats at the CWPA Division II Championships. McKendree earned a 14-10 win at home over the Golden Knights during the MAWPC Conference Weekend in O’Fallon, Ill. on November 5 and then claimed today’s 16-11 victory.
The two teams were tied at four-all after the first quarter, but McKendree scored three goals in the second quarter to lead 7-6 at the half. The biggest difference in the contest was the third quarter as the Bearcats outscored Gannon, 6-1 to take a 13-7 lead into the final frame. Gannon outscored McKendree, 4-3, over the final eight minutes to shrink the final difference to five goals.
Graduate student attacker Josh Carlson (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way West) and junior center/utility player Breno Tebet (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Golden West College) each scored four goals in the game, while senior center defender Connor Pulido (Chicago Ridge, Ill./Richards) added three goals. Fifth-year senior attacker Nico Rodriguez (Bogota, Colombia/Oviedo) and sophomore attacker Jespyn Bishop (Brighton, Colo./Brighton) both scored two goals in the win.
Fifth-year senior attacker Tony Sunagawa (Chino Hills, Calif./Chino Hills) had five assists and added a goal for six points for the Bearcats. Rodriguez added two assists, while Carlson and junior center defender Adam Serrano (Riverside, Calif./Poly) each had an assist.
Tebet got the scoring started in the game as he scored nearly two minutes into the game to give McKendree an early 1-0 lead. From the point, the teams would take turns scoring as Gannon held a 4-3 lead following a goal by Marty Kaverman with 2:13 left in the quarter, but Pulido would tie game on his goal just 19 seconds later.
In the second period, McKendree used goals from Tebet, Pulido and Bishop to push in front 7-5 with 2:22 left in the quarter. Gannon, though, got a goal from Drago Marjanovic with 22 seconds left to cut the Bearcats’ lead to 7-6 at halftime.
The third quarter belonged to the Bearcats as two goals from Carlson and single goals from Bishop and Rodriguez pushed McKendree’s lead to 11-6 nearly four minutes into the period. Gannon would stop the run by McKendree with a goal from Vladimir Mickic with 2:49 left in the quarter.
McKendree, though, closed the quarter with goals from Rodriguez and Tebet to take a 13-7 lead heading into the final eight minutes.
The Bearcats lead grew to 15-7 just 64 seconds into the final period thanks to back-to-back goals from Tebet and Sunagawa. Gannon responded by scoring four of the final five goals to cap the scoring.
Gannon had five players record two goals in the game, while Kaverman had two of those goals and added two assists for four points. Dylan Schmitzerle had the other goal for Gannon.
For the game, McKendree outshot Gannon, 37-32, but Gannon held an edge in power plays as they were three-for-six, while McKendree was just two-for-eight.
Junior goalkeeper Jimmy Cronin (Naperville, Ill./Metea Valley) had a solid day in the cage for the Bearcats as he recorded nine saves and allowed just 11 goals in the win.
Jacob Hollo played all 32 minutes in goal for Gannon and finished with 10 saves and a steal.
Release courtesy McKendree University Athletics Communications
