SAN JOSE, Calif. — The Bucknell University men’s water polo team put forth a strong effort against the United States Air Force Academy at the Julian Fraser Memorial Tournament, but the Falcons took home a 16-12 win.
Bucknell and Air Force were neck and neck for the first half of play, with the Bison only trailing by two goals. The Falcons held on to their lead, never allowing the Bison to surpass them on the scoresheet.
On a man-up advantage for the Bison in the second quarter, senior attacker Walker Butler ripped a shot into the cage with the help from junior attacker Shay Gillearn. Senior center Doruk Ozar wanted in on the action and found himself in a prime scoring position when Butler passed him the ball, and he fired off a shot that hit the back of the cage.
The Bison were four-for-12 on power plays against the Falcons, surpassing Air Force’s three-for-11 efficiency.
Bucknell came close to obtaining a lead in the third quarter when it outscored Air Force 5-4. Sophomore attacker Aleksa Stefanovic had a standout game, including three huge goals in the third. Hasan Mogultay took advantage of the scoring momentum to earn himself an assist to Stefanovic and tally two goals.
Stefanovic won the sprint for Bucknell to start the fourth with a possession advantage. Unfortunately for the Bison, the Falcons went on a 3-1 run in the final period. Mogultay had the only goal in the fourth quarter when he successfully put the ball into the back of the net on a penalty shot.
Release courtesy Bucknell University Athletics Communications
