STOCKTON, Calif. – A 4-0 second quarter by defending National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) champion and No. 2-ranked the University of Southern California (USC) overcome a 3-2 first quarter lead by No. 10 Bucknell University in a 15-9 win over the Bison in an NCAA Tournament quarterfinal game at the University of the Pacific’s Chris Kjeldsen Pool.
Bucknell finishes its season 23-9, tying the most wins in single season during head coach John McBride‘s tenure.
Bucknell started strongly, utilizing the presence of senior Logan Schofield heavily in the center, as he scored two early goals at the 3:58 and the 1:49 mark of the first quarter to give Bucknell a 2-1 lead. Both goals by Schofield came on the power play thanks to two ejections drawn, one of those by the senior, in the opening minutes.
The Bison had a solid game plan defensively to start the game, forcing several turnovers from the Trojans attempting to work the ball in the middle.
USC’s Jacob Mercap tied the game at two with 42 seconds left in the first quarter before a shot from Andu Vlasceanu with 22 seconds left gave Bucknell a 3-2 lead on the Trojans after one.
USC fought back in the second period, using a 4-0 run in the frame to take a 6-3 lead at the break.
Bucknell would get no closer than three in the second half. USC opened the second half scoring at the 5:24 mark of the third period on a goal by Marcus Longton. However, Cooper Dolan fired a shot from long range with 4:20 left in the third to pull Bucknell within three once again, 7-4.
The goal from Dolan, who was also solid on the defensive end, was the closest Bucknell would get the rest of the game as USC used another 3-0 run to end the third and take a 10-4 lead.
Bucknell scored twice in the early stages of the fourth on Rade Joksimovic‘s first goal of the day and another goal by Vlasceanu, but the lead proved insurmountable for Bucknell in the 15-9 defeat.
Cullen Jacuzzi scored from five meters in the latter stages of the game, while Niki De La Sierra scored his first career goal for the Bison with one second remaining.
The game marks the final contest for Bucknell’s record-setting senior class. In addition to helping Bucknell to its first NCAA Tournament victory since 1985 and highest finish in program history, the team combined for 87 victories over a four-year stretch, the most by the program since 1979-82. Four-Time Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Player of the Year Joksimovic, who scored two goals on the day, will end his Bucknell career with 527 career tallies, the second-most in program history. Schofield will end his Bucknell career with 297 career ejections drawn, 15 shy of the program record set by Jack Else. Jacuzzi finishes his career with 44 goals and 38 assists, while Dolan ranks eighth on Bucknell’s all-time list with 120 career games played for the Orange and Blue.
Release courtesy Bucknell University Athletics Communications
