McKendree University Stops Washington & Jefferson College, 26-9, in Winter 2021 Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference-West Championship Opening Game

McKendree University-vs.-Washington & Jefferson College Scoresheet (MAWPC-West Championship – Game #1)

ERIE, Pa. — Andrew Serrano (Sr., Riverside, Calif./Summit View) scored five times to notch Player of the Game accolades as the top seed McKendree University Bearcats opened up a 10-3 lead by the conclusion of the first quarter and never looked back in topping No. 5 seed Washington & Jefferson College, 26-9, in the opening game of the Winter 2021 Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC)-West Region Championship.

Competing at the David M. Hallman III Aquatics Center, the Bearcats established a new league record for most goals in a MAWPC-West region tournament game – eclipsing the previous mark of 25 established by Salem University in a 25-10 victory over Monmouth College on November 3, 2018.  In addition, the combined 35 goals in the game ties the previous mark for highest scoring game in MAWPC-West Championship history set by the Tigers and Fighting Scots.

McKendree – which entered the game with a 4-0 record in MAWPC-West action to become the first program outside Gannon University to claim the MAWPC-West regular season title – wasted little time in putting the Presidents in an early hole as Matthew Haygood (Jr., Chino Hills, Calif./Chino Hills) pumped in a shot with 7:29 remaining in the first quarter.  Abraham Allen (Sr., Webster Groves, Mo./Webster Groves) built the lead to a pair at the 6:57 mark, but Washington & Jefferson broke through at 5:49 via a scoring volley by Chris Edwards (Fr., Bexley, Ohio/St. Charles Prep) to inch within 2-1.

Serrano swished back-to-back scores with natural (5:34) and man-up (5:08) markers to widen the gap to 4-1 prior to Andrew Edwards (So., Columbus, Ohio/St. Charles Prep) answering for W&J at 4:57 to keep the Presidents within striking distance at 4-2.

The teams traded markers with Serrano (4:12) and Robert Niino (So., Madera, Calif./Madera) (3:44) finding the back of the cage to shrink and enlarge the lead to 5-3.

From there, the Bearcats dominated the remainder of the opening frame as Josh Carlson (Jr., New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln Way West), Tristen Clue (Jr., Chino Hills, Calif./Chino Hills), Haygood and Clue ticked off goals at 3:32, 2:31, 1:33 and 56 seconds, respectively, to construct a 9-3 margin with the clock winding down on the opening eight minutes of action.

McKendree continued its offensive onslaught as Allen buried a five-meter penalty shot with 27 ticks on the clock to make it 10-3 at the conclusion of the first quarter.

The Bearcats kept their foot on the gas in the dawning moments of the second quarter as Ethan Kochel (Fr., Hurricane, Utah/Hurricane) whizzed home a five-meter penalty shot at 7:44 prior to Haygood hooking in a man-up tally (5:12) and Nico Rodriguez (Jr., Bogota, Colombia/Oviedo) flushing an even-strength chance (2:58) to make it 13-3.

Ryan Bannon (So., Broomfield, Colo./Broomfield) snapped McKendree’s 8-0 run by burying a chance at 2:42, but Chava Osorio (Sr., San Bernardino, Calif./Cajon) delivered an answer via a man-up score at 2:16.

The teams continued to traded scoring shots over the remainder of the first half as Will Kitsch (Jr., Mohnton, Pa./Governor Mifflin) and Andrew Edwards dented the twine for the Presidents with even-strength strikes at 1:58 and 1:13, respectively, while Serrano (1:36) and Rodriguez (37 seconds) did the same for McKendree to set the scoreboard at 16-6 in favor of the top-seed Bearcats.

The squads continued a trend of back-and-forth play in the first minute of the third quarter as Haygood (7:33) and Chris Edwards (7:16) drilled in shots to keep the gap at 10 (17-7).

McKendree gained some additional breathing room over the remainder of the third quarter as Carlson (5:03), Clue (2:43), Serrano (2:28) and Osorio (36 seconds) inflated the margin to a dozen at 21-7 heading into the final eight minutes of regulation.

Rodriguez capped off a five-goal outburst by McKendree by lining in a shot 42 seconds into the fourth quarter to provide his squad a 15-goal lead.

Andrew Edwards delivered an answer for W&J at 4:52 courtesy a successful five-meter penalty shot, but Sam Guffey (So., Firecrest, Wash./Curtis) and CJ Brushwood (Fr., Gresham, Ore./Sam Barlow) put McKendree back on the board with back-to-back blasts at 3:53 and 2:57, respectively, to make it 24-8.

Again, Andrew Edwards delivered a counterpoint for the Presidents at 2:22, but Brushwood (1:11) and Ethan Hansen (So., St Louis, Mo./Oakville) (51 seconds) wrapped up the scoring with consecutive connections for the 26-9 final score.

For McKendree, Serrano led the way with five goals, while Haygood (four), Clue (three) and Rodriguez (three) also netted hat-tricks.  Carlson, Allen, Brushwood and Osorio each deposited pairs with Kochel, Guffey and Hansen finding the back of the cage once in support of a 15 save performance by netminder Ori Scanlon (Sr., Orlando, Fla./Olympia).

Across the tank, Andrew (four) and Chris (two) Edwards combined for six W&J goals.  Bannon, Niino and Kitsch each notched solo markers.  

In cage, Alex Lee (So., Los Angeles, Calif./Eagle Rock) and Tyler Francis (Sr., Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) both made five saves as the pair split time in cage.

The victory guarantees McKendree can not finish lower than Fourth Place at the Winter 2021 MAWPC Championship.  Historically, the Bearcats have previously placed first (2018), second (2019) and fifth (2017) in three prior appearances at the event.  McKendree did not compete at the inaugural MAWPC-West Championship in 2016 as the program was a collegiate club team which advanced to the National Collegiate Club Championship at the University of Notre Dame.

For W&J – which entered the tournament with an 0-4 mark in MAWPC-West action – the loss prevents the team from finishing higher than Third Place at the championship.  Historically, the Presidents previously placed fifth (2019, 2016), sixth (2018) and eighth (2017) at the MAWPC-West Championship.