(O'FALLON, Ill., Oct. 13) – The McKendree University men's water polo team competed in the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division II Championship on Saturday afternoon. In the first game of the day, the Bearcats defeated Mercyhurst 12-9 and fell to Gannon 10-6 in the final game of the day.
 
Game One
The Lakers got on the board first, but freshman Matthew Haygood (Chino Hills, CA/Chino Hills High School) evened the score at one. Juniors Izaya Owotor (Portland, OR/David Douglas High School) and Joseph Mahan (Corinth, TX/John H Guyer High School) both scored their first goals of the game to tie the game at three after the first period. Mahan gave the Bearcats the lead just 30 seconds into the second period. Mercyhurst would tie the game but Mahan's second goal of the period pushed the Bearcats ahead by one. Mahan continued his dominance as he scored his fourth goal of the game on a five-meter penalty shot. McKendree would hold a 6-5 lead heading into halftime.
 
Freshman Tony Sunagawa (Chino Hills, CA/Chino Hills High School) boosted the Bearcats lead as he caught a pass from junior Michael Krause (St. Louis, MO/Saint Louis University High School). Haygood put his second ball in the back of the cage to give McKendree an 8-6 lead. The Bearcats kept their foot on the gas pedal as freshman Ben Brauer (Duisburg, Germany/Steinbart-Gymnasium Duisburg), Mahan, and Haygood scored three consecutive goals to widen the lead. Freshman Jackson Spencer (O'Fallon, MO/Fort Zumwalt West) put the Lakers away with his first of the game as McKendree went on to win 12-9 over Mercyhurst.
 
Game Two
In the second game of the day, the Bearcats faced off with an undefeated Gannon team. The Bearcats jumped out to a 2-0 lead after Sunagawa and Krause put the ball in the back of the cage. Gannon would go on to take a 5-2 lead after five consecutive goals. McKendree cut into the lead as Haygood scored back to back goals.
 
Mahan and Brauer would score goals in the final period and despite a strong showing in the water, the Bearcats fell to a tough Golden Knight team.
 
"Today was one of the best days for our team in program history. We have been consistently making improvements in practice and games. The improvement is really starting to show in the games. Beating Mercyhurst for the first time was a great start and an awesome display of our skill and water polo IQ," said McKendree head coach Colleen Lischwe. "Taking on an undefeated Gannon team for the second time this season and going up early proved again the big steps we have taken. I am looking forward to taking this momentum into tomorrow and putting more shots in the back of the net."
 
The Bearcats win look to record a winning record this weekend when they take on Salem University on Sunday morning at 11:30a.m. at the McKendree Metro Rec Plex.