(CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 8) – The McKendree University men's water polo team suffered two losses on Sunday to close out the opening weekend in the Bruno Classic. The Bearcats fell to Massachusetts Institute of Technology 23-14 and later to Harvard University by the score of 20-8.
 
McKendree moves to 0-4 on the young season. The Bearcats will have a quick turnaround as they play host to Lindenwood University on Tuesday, Sept. 10 at the McKendree Metro Rec Plex.
 
In the morning game against MIT, the Bearcats struggled to keep the Engineers out of the back of the cage resulting in a high scoring affair.
 
Junior Ben Brauer (Duisburg, Germany/Steinbart-Gymnasium Duisburg) and sophomore Nico Rodriguez (Bogota, Columbia/Oviedo High School) led the attack with four goals apiece. Junior Jesus Osorio (San Bernardino, CA/Cajon High School) and sophomore Matthew Haygood (Chino Hills, CA/Chino Hills High School) followed up with two goals apiece while four other Bearcats saw themselves in the scoring column.
 
In the final game of the Classic, the offense was kept at bay as the Bearcats mustered just eight goals against Harvard.
 
Haygood continued his scoring pace by scoring in all four games of the weekend as he put three balls in the back of the cage against the Crimson. Junior Adrian Maher (Keller, TX/Keller High School) managed to net two goals himself in the game. Senior Joseph Mahan (Corinth, TX/John H Guyer High School), Brauer, and Rodriguez were also able to record goals in the effort.