(NOTRE DAME, Ind., Nov. 11) – The McKendree University men's water polo team earned its first postseason win in program history in an overtime thriller on Friday afternoon. The Bearcats took a 12-10 win over Boston College in the first round of the 2016 Collegiate Water Polo Association National Collegiate Club Championship.
 
Freshman attacker Joseph Mahan (Corinth, TX/John H Guyer High School) took player of the game honors after scoring five goals, including the only two overtime markers.
 
FIRST QUARTER
Boston College opened the scoring with two goals in the first minute and a half, to take a quick lead over McKendree. The Bearcats had a response though, with Mahan and freshman attacker Izaya Owotor (Portland, OR/David Douglas High School) adding one goal each less than a minute apart, to tie the game up 2-2. The McKendree attackers weren't done scoring, with Mahan adding his second of the game at the 3:43 mark to give the Bearcats the lead. After going a man up, freshman utility player Alex Nicholas (Rolling Meadows, IL/Fremd High School) closed out the scoring in the quarter burying one past the Eagles goaltender. McKendree closed out the first quarter ahead 4-2 over Boston College.
 
SECOND QUARTER
The Eagles came out flying in the second quarter, again scoring twice before the Bearcats could find the back of the net. At the 3:20 mark, freshman attacker Luc Gregory (Laguna Beach, CA/Laguna Beach High School) beat the Boston College goaltender to give McKendree the lead back. However, the Eagles scored two more times to close out the half ahead 6-5 over the Bearcats.
 
THIRD QUARTER
McKendree opened the scoring in the second half with Owotor scoring his second of the game just over 30 seconds into the quarter. Freshman center Robert Esson (Huntington Beach, CA/Huntington Beach High School) added his first goal of the game for McKendree, to give the Bearcats a 7-6 lead over the Eagles. However, Boston College scored on a five-meter penalty shot to tie the game back up at seven. Esson scored his second goal of the game to regain the lead for McKendree. Following Esson's goal, Gregory added his second goal of the game as well, to give the Bearcats a two goal advantage, but the Eagles scored with just nine seconds left in the quarter to cut the lead to one. The third quarter closed with McKendree leading Boston College by a score of 9-8.
 
FOURTH QUARTER
Boston College struck first again in the fourth quarter to tie the game back up after almost three minutes of scoreless play. Mahan scored just eleven seconds later, to regain the one goal lead for the Bearcats. However, with 2:56 remaining Boston College scored the equalizer to cap off the scoring in the fourth quarter. The fourth quarter closed out with the teams square at 10.
OVERTIME
McKendree's first postseason game, turned into the squads first overtime game as well. In a pair of three-minute overtime periods, the Bearcats were the only team capable of finding the back of the net. Both McKendree tallies came from Mahan, including one with just 13 seconds left in the first overtime. In the second overtime, both teams remained scoreless giving McKendree a 12-10 overtime win over Boston College.
 
Mahan led the scoring charge for McKendree with five goals, including two overtime tallies. Gregory, Esson, and Owotor all found the back of the net two times each, and Nicholas netted one of his own. Freshman goaltender Arthur Larson (St. Louis, MO/Saint Louis University High School) registered 10 blocks, five steals, and one assist in the game to help lift the Bearcats to victory.
 
With the win over No. 18 Boston College, No. 16 McKendree takes on No. 10 University of Michigan on Saturday morning at 10:10 a.m. EST (9:10 a.m. CST) looking to continue the charge for first place.