(MONMOUTH, Ill., Oct. 12) – The McKendree University men's water polo team opened up Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) play on Saturday with contests against Monmouth College and Gannon University. The Bearcats dropped the first game to Gannon 19-15 before closing out the day with a 21-6 win against Monmouth.
 
The Bearcats move to 5-9 overall and 1-1 in MAWPC play. McKendree will play Mercyhurst on Sunday morning at 9:00am.
 
In the game against Gannon, sophomore Matthew Haygood (Chino Hills, CA/Chino Hills High School) caught fire, finding the back of the cage, seven times. The Bearcats trailed 6-3 after the opening period, with juniors Ben Brauer (Duisburg, Germany/Steinbart-Gymnasium Duisburg), Adrian Maher (Keller, TX/Keller High School), and Haygood scoring for McKendree.
 
The Bearcats kept up offensively with Gannon in the second period. Sophomore Nico Rodriguez (Bogota, Columbia/Oviedo High School) and junior Pedro Osorio (San Bernardino, CA/Cajon High School) opened the second period scoring. Senior Joseph Mahan (Corinth, TX/John H Guyer High School) and Haygood also found the back of the cage for the Bearcats. Gannon carried an 11-7 lead into halftime.
 
McKendree scored four times in the third period but the Golden Knights scored seven times to keep the Bearcats from coming back. Junior Abraham Allen (Webster Groves, MO/Webster Groves High School), Haygood, Mahan, and junior Pedro Osorio (San Bernardino, CA/Cajon High School) found the back of the cage for the Bearcats but remained behind 18-11.
 
Haygood handled the scoring in the final period with four goals. Sophomore Tony Sunagawa (Chino Hills, CA/Chino Hills High School) scored his first goal of the game as McKendree mounted a comeback. The defense held Gannon to just two goals in the period but ultimately fell 20-16.
 
In the win over Monmouth, the Bearcats used excellent defense and offense to separate themselves from the Fighting Scots. McKendree took an 11-2 lead into halftime.
 
Brauer led the way in the opening period with two goals. Mahan, Haygood, and freshman Tristen Clue (Chino Hills, CA/Chino Hills High School) followed up with goals themselves to give the Bearcats a 5-2 lead after the first period.
 
McKendree found a groove in the second period, scoring six goals. J. Osorio found the back of the cage twice while Brauer, Mahan, senior Daniel Peralta (Lakewood, CA/Lakewood High School), and sophomore Aaron Jacobs (Houston, TX/Jersey Village High School) added in goals for the Bearcats. The defense stifled Monmouth, shutting them out in the period.
 
The Bearcats exploded for eight goals in the third period. Senior Izaya Owotor (Portland, OR/David Douglas High School) and Sunagawa each netted two goals apiece. Clue, Jacobs, Haygood, and J. Osorio netted the other four goals in the period to give McKendree a 19-6 lead heading into the final period.
 
The McKendree defense held up once again, holding Monmouth to zero goals. Freshman Sam Guffey (University Place, WA/Curtis Senior High School) and Peralta added in the final goals for McKendree as they cruised to a 21-6 victory over the host Fighting Scots.