WASHINGTON, Pa. — First-year varsity program McKendree University tripped the host Presidents of Washington & Jefferson College, 18-15, and fell to La Salle University, 12-7, and Connecticut College, 18-15, to begin Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC)-West Region play.
In the day’s opener versus second-year varsity program La Salle, sophomore attacker Joseph Mahan (Corinth, Texas/John H. Guyer) struck first for McKendree. The Explorers punched in a pair of markers over the remainder of the quarter to claim a 2-1 lead.
The teams traded goals in the second quarter, with sophomore attacker Daniel Peralta (Lakewood, Calif./Lakewood) finding the back of the net for the Bearcats. The first half ended with a score of 3-2 in favor of the Explorers.
The third quarter held a ton of action for both teams, with each netting four goals. The teams exchanged goals back and forth until the close of the quarter. Goalscorers for McKendree included sophomore attacker Toby Stewart (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mason), sophomore attacker Michael Krause (St. Louis, Mo./Saint Louis University), sophomore attacker Jarad Wahl (St. Louis, Mo./Oakville) and Mahan.
The final quarter saw the Bearcats have trouble solving the Explorers goaltender as McKendree netted just one tally from sophomore attacker Luc Gregory (Laguna Beach, Calif./Laguna Beach). On the other end of the tank, La Salle connected on five shots for a 12-7 win.
Squaring off with Connecticut College, the Bearcats raced out to an early 2-0 lead in the first quarter with goals from sophomore attacker Izaya Owotor (Portland, Ore./David Douglas) and Mahan. The Camels responded to tie the game at two-all prior to the teams again trading markers with Mahan and Gregory scoring to put McKendree in front at 4-3 after eight minutes of action.
The Camels came out strong in the second quarter netting four straight goals before McKendree could answer. Mahan brought the Bearcats back within two at 7-5. Just 20 seconds later, Krause found the back of the net to bring the Bearcats to within 7-6.
Following another Camels’ goal to inflate the lead to 8-6, Owotor and Mahan each found the back of cage within the final 40 seconds of the half to even the damage at eight-all. However, the Camels sneaked in a buzzer-beater to reclaim the lead at 9-8 going into halftime.
The goal turned the tide on the contest as Connecticut reeled off three scores to push the margin to 12-8. Gregory snapped the Camels’ run with 5:30 left in the third quarter, but Connecticut answered with two more goals to make it 14-9. Mahan scored to pull the Bearcats back within four, but the Camels had an answer. Gregory scored once more, to close out the third quarter with a score of 15-11 in favor of the Camels.
McKendree came out firing in the fourth quarter scoring three unanswered goals, with two from Mahan and one from Gregory to pull the Bearcats within one at 15-14. Connecticut College responded to extend their lead back to two at 16-14 prior to Gregory hitting the back twine to inch the Bearcats back to within one at 16-15. The comeback was not to be as the Camels swished back-to-back chances to hang on for an 18-15 win.
Facing the host Presidents of W&J, Washington & Jefferson built an early 2-0 lead prior to the Bearcats clawing their way to a 3-2 margin by the conclusion of the first quarter of play. Sophomore center Jackson Smith (McHenry, Ill./McHenry West), freshman defender Brandon Kavanaugh (Hawthorn Woods, Ill./Mundelein Consolidated) and Gregory.
McKendree extended their lead to two on a goal from Mahan, but Washington & Jefferson responded with two goals to even it up at four-all. Smith and Mahan rebuilt the lead to 6-4, but the Presidents trimmed its deficit to 6-5.
The Bearcats roared to the halftime buzzer as as Mahan, freshman center Abraham Allen (Webster Groves, Mo.), Gregory and Wahl bombed away to push McKendree out to a 10-7 lead by halftime.
The margin expanded to 15-11 by the end of the third quarter with sophomore center Robert Esson (Huntington Beach, Calif./Huntington Beach), Stewart and Krause each drilled in solo markers with a pair coming from Mahan.
McKendree’s lead would prove to be too much for the Presidents to overcome down the stretch as W&J outscored the Bearcats 4-3 in the fourth quarter to only close within 18-15.
Release courtesy McKendree University Athletics Communications
