CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The Mercyhurst University men’s water polo team fell to host/No. 11-ranked Harvard University, 24-6, and Division III No. 6 the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 19-8, on Day One of the 2021 Brown University Bruno Classic.
Competing in Cambridge as Harvard is hosting eight games for the Bears during Brown’s tournament, the Lakers played the Crimson tough. Harvard opened the scoring, but Aleksa Vucurovic answered just a minute and a half later to tie the game at one. After the first quarter, Harvard led 4-2. Derek Kagen netted his first goal of the season with 2:21 remaining in the first quarter. However, Mercyhurst was kept off the board in the second quarter as the margin expanded to 9-2 by halftime.
The Lakers added two goals in the third quarter as Vucurovic scored his second goal of the game and Luke Tanner scored his first of the game. Tanner was not done as he scored twice in the fourth quarter to complete a hat-trick.
Nash Greeven started in the net. Tony Golin took over for the second half and made three saves to start his Mercyhurst career.
In the second game of the day versus MIT, Michael Gutman put the Lakers on the scoreboard after MIT netted four consecutive goals to open the game.
Teagan Thomas and Vucurovic each scored in the second quarter, while Vucurovic and Tanner found the back of the cage in the third quarter to make it 16-5 after three quarters of play.
Kagen and Tanner continued their scoring from game one in the fourth quarter prior to Vucurivic burying his third strike of the game to conclude Mercyhurst’s scoring in the contest.
Release courtesy Mercyhurst University Athletics Communications
