(CLAREMONT, CA., Oct. 8) – The McKendree University men's water polo team struggled on day two of the Gary Troyer Tournament being dealt another two losses.
 
In McKendree's first game of the day, the team fell to Whittier College at 9:15 a.m. PT. by a final score of 15-9.
 
FIRST QUARTER
In a low scoring quarter, McKendree scored first on a goal by Luc Gregory (Laguna Beach, CA/Laguna Beach High School). However, with 1:15 left in the quarter, Whittier would find the back of the net. At the close of the first quarter the game was tied at one.
 
SECOND QUARTER
Whittier opened the scoring in the second quarter, but Joseph Mahan (Corinth, TX/John H Guyer High School) would rifle one into the back of the net to even the score back up at two. With 3:15 left, Whittier took the lead back scoring two unanswered before Daniel Peralta (Lakewood, CA/Lakewood High School) scored on a pass from Izaya Owotor (Portland, OR/David Douglas High School). Whittier added one more before halftime, taking a 5-3 lead over the Bearcats.
 
THIRD QUARTER
To open the third quarter, Whittier scored two quick goals. However, the Bearcats responded with goals from Gregory, Robert Esson (Huntington Beach, CA/Huntington Beach High School), and Mahan to cut Whittier's lead down to one. Whittier would score again, but Michael Krause (St. Louis, MO/Saint Louis University High School) would respond for McKendree. Whittier and McKendree would trade goals one more time before the quarter ended, with the Bearcats goal coming from Alex Nicholas (Rolling Meadows, IL/Fremd High School). At the end of the quarter, Whittier still held the lead at a score of 9-8.
 
FOURTH QUARTER
Whittier opened the scoring again in the fourth quarter, with five unanswered goals to extend the lead to six. McKendree struggled to beat Whittier's goalie in the final quarter, until Nicholas came away with a steal right in front of the Whittier net with 0:27 left in the game. Whittier would respond just 16 seconds later, and the Bearcats would eventually lose by a score of 15-9.
 
McKendree's second game of the day, and final game of the Gary Troyer Tournament came against Cal Baptist, in which they fell by a score of 17-3.

The Bearcats were held off the board in the first half, trailing 11-0 at halftime. In the final two quarters McKendree found the scoreboard three times getting goals from Krause, Jackson Smith (McHenry, IL/McHenry West High School), and Nicholas. McKendree's goals wouldn't prove to be enough against an extremely strong Cal Baptist team, and were defeated by a score of 17-3.


The Bearcats next contests are the CWPA conference championships on Saturday, October 15, when McKendree takes the No. 1 seed to play Truman State at 8:30 a.m. at the St. Peters Rec Plex in St. Peters, Mo. If the Bearcats win that match, the team will move on to play again that day at 1:55 p.m.