PRINCETON, N.J. — The No. 16-ranked Bucknell University men’s water polo team fell to No. 3 Stanford University, 16-4, and No. 12 Princeton University, 18-10, to close out a tough slate at the Princeton Invitational.
Facing Princeton, the homestanding Tigers used a 9-1 run to start the game en route to taking an 18-10 win in the first game of the day for the Bison. Princeton kept a healthy lead in the remainder of the contest.
After two straight Princeton goals to start the game, Bucknell’s Ethan Jones responded with a goal of his own at the 5:55 mark of the first quarter. However, the Tigers scored seven straight goals to extend their lead to 9-1, and pulled away for the 18-10 win.
Josh Yardley scored three times for the Bison in the defeat, while Jones and Andu Vlasceanu each added two goals.
In the Bison’s weekend finale, Stanford exploited an eight-goal third quarter to pull away from a closely-contested first half..
Bucknell once again found a response after going down 2-0 early on, this time courtesy of Hasan Mogultay. Mogultay scored with 5:36 to go in the first quarter to cut the Cardinal lead to one before another goal by Stanford with 2:05 to go maintained the two-goal advantage.
Bucknell kept things close in the second quarter, pulling within two, 4-2, on a goal by Yardley with 2:49 to go in the first half, but the Cardinal buckled down in the third quarter, scoring half of its goals in the game during the period to take a 16-4 win.
Mogultay scored three of Bucknell’s four goals in the defeat, while Yardley added the Bison’s other tally.
Release courtesy Bucknell University Athletics Communications
