ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The No. 17-ranked Bucknell University men’s water polo team split its first day of competition at the United States Naval Academy’s Navy Open by falling to No. 3-ranked the University of California, 20-8, before responding with a 16-11 defeat of Iona College.
In the Bison’s season-opener versus the Golden Bears, California demonstrated its scoring prowess early to snag a 14-3 lead on the way to a 20-8 victory.
Bucknell tied the game at one with 5:50 left in the first quarter on a goal by Andu Vlasceanu, but the Golden Bears went on to score three straight and four of the next five goals en route to a comfortable 5-2 lead at the end of the first period.
Bucknell could pull no closer than three the rest of the way, as the Golden Bears took the victory in the season opener for both teams.
Bucknell managed five different goal scorers, with Vlasceanu and Liam Stott each scoring a pair of goals to lead the Orange & Blue.
Taking on Iona, Bucknell capitalized on 6-1 run to start the game en route to a 16-11 win in the nightcap.
The Bison found the first goal of the game at the 5:39 mark of the first quarter via a strike by Josh Yardley, one of four in the game for the senior. Bucknell added goals from Vlasceanu and Ethan Jones over the next eight minutes to jump out to a 6-1 lead at the 6:09 mark of the second quarter.
Two straight goals from the Gaels pulled Iona with three at the 4:10 mark of the second period, but three straight goals from Bucknell by Jones, Vlasceanu and Hasan Mogultay restored a six-goal advantage, 9-3, at the halftime break.
Iona failed to move closer than three the rest of the way as the Bison managed seven different goalscorers in the nightcap.
Yardley led the way with four goals along with Vlasceanu, while Matt Ryckman and Shay Gillearn each scored their first career goals for the Orange & Blue.
Release courtesy Bucknell University Athletics Communications
