LA VERNE, Calif. – The McKendree University men's water polo team concluded play here Saturday at the 2021 Gary Troyer Invitational as the Bearcats dropped back-to-back games against Fresno Pacific University, 17-12 and Santa Clara University, 15-10.
 
With the two setbacks, the Bearcats fell to 4-6 overall on the season and was 1-3 at the Gary Troyer Invitational and went 2-3 on its trip to Southern California. McKendree's final game of its trip scheduled for Sunday at the University of La Verne was canceled due to COVID protocols with the La Verne team.
 
FRESNO PACIFIC 17, McKENDREE 12
The Bearcats opened the final day of the two-day Gary Troyer Invitational at the Haldeman Pool on the campus of Pomona-Pitzer with a 17-12 setback to Fresno Pacific.
 
In the game, the Bearcats were outshot, 35-29 and outscored 10-4 in the second half after McKendree held an 8-7 lead at the half.
 
Graduate student utility player Michael Rojas (Cali, Colombia/San Joaquin Parroquial) led the way offensively for the Bearcats with three goals, while freshman attacker Jespyn Bishop (Brighton, Colo./Brighton), senior utility player Matthew Haygood (Chino Hills, Calif./Chino Hills) and graduate student Uros Pelemis (Belgrade, Serbia/Fresno Pacific) each had two goals in the setback.
 
The Bearcats jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the opening five minutes of the game as Rojas scored two of the first four goals. After Thilo Popp stopped the McKendree scoring run, Bishop added a goal with 2:04 left in the first period to give the Bearcats a 5-1 lead after the opening eight minutes.
 
FPU would rally to score six times in the second period to cut McKendree's leas to 8-7 at the half. In the period, Haygood, sophomore center Adam Serrano (Riverside, Calif./Poly) and Pelemis, who used to play at FPU, scored goals in the period for the Bearcats.
 
Fresno Pacific would score nine goals in the third period to take a 16-12 lead heading into the final period and the fourth period would feature just one goal, which was scored by William Green.
 
McKendree's third period goals were scored by Pelemis, Bishop, Rojas and fifth-year senior defender Pedro Osorio (San Bernardino, Calif./Cajon).
 
Popp and Bodhi Bowden each scored five goals to pace FPU.
 
Fifth-year senior Ori Scanlon (Orlando, Fla./Olympia) played all 32 minutes in goal and allowed 17 goals and made eight saves. Clay Maroney allowed 12 goals and made eight saves in 32 minutes of action in goal for FPU.
 
SANTA CLARA 15, McKENDREE 10
In the final game of the two-day event for the Bearcats, McKendree was outshot 36-28 and outscored 9-3 in the first half of its 15-10 setback to Santa Clara at the Las Flores Pool in La Verne, Calif.
 
Against the Broncos, Pelemis and senior attacker Nico Rodriguez (Bogota, Colombia/Oviedo) each had two goals in the loss. Haygood and Bishop each had two assists.
 
Santa Clara jumped in front 3-0 and would eventually lead 7-2 at the end of the first period. McKendree's first period goals were scored by Haygood and freshman attacker Schuyler Cramer (Thornton, Colo./Horizon).
 
Both teams scored a goal in the second period with Rodriguez scoring with 3:18 left in the period to cut Santa Clara's lead to 8-3 at the half.
 
After Santa Clara scored the first two goals of the third period to push its lead to 10-3, the Bearcats would rally as they closed the period by scoring four of the final five goals, including senior attacker Josh Carlson (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln Way West) scoring a goal with one second left to cut the Broncos lead to 11-7 heading to the final period.
 
The Broncos would open the fourth period with three straight goals to push in front 15-7, before McKendree closed the game with two goals from Pelemis and a goal from senior center Tristen Clue (Chino Hills, Calif./Chino Hills) to cap the scoring.
 
Scanlon and sophomore Jimmy Cronin (Naperville, Ill./Metea Valley) each played 16 minutes in goal for the Bearcats as Scanlon allowed 10 goals and made three saves, while Cronin allowed five goals and made three saves.
 
Chase Zamborelli played the whole game in goal for the Broncos and allowed 10 goals and made 11 saves.
 
UP NEXT
The Bearcats will play its only games at home this season next weekend (Oct. 9-10) as they host Salem University, Augustana College, Gannon University and Mercyhurst University at the McKendree Metro Rec Plex in O'Fallon, Ill. McKendree will face Salem, Augustana and Gannon on Oct. 9 at 9 a.m., 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. respectively and will face Mercyhurst at 10:30 a.m. on Oct. 10. The Salem, Gannon and Mercyhurst games will be Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference-West Region games.