U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Graduate student Uros Pelemis (Belgrade, Serbia/Fresno Pacific) and senior Nico Rodriguez (Bogota, Colombia/Oviedo) combined to score 11 goals as the McKendree Men's Water Polo team split its final two games of the Rare Air Challenge at the Cadet Natatorium Sunday afternoon.
 
The Bearcats, who are now 1-2 on the season, opened the final day of the Rare Air Challenge with an impressive 21-12 win over Ottawa (Ariz.) University and then fell 17-10 in its final game against the host school, Air Force Academy.
 
In the win over Ottawa, Pelemis and Rodriguez combined to score nine goals as Pelemis finished with five goals, while Rodriguez added four goals in earning its win of the season. For the game, six Bearcats scored multiple goals as freshman Torin Ferguson (Haleiwa, Hawai'i/Lakeridge), senior Matthew Haygood (Chino Hills, Calif./Chino Hills), graduate student Michael Rojas (Cali, Colombia/Salem University) and sophomore Adam Serrano (Riverside, Calif./Poly) each had two goals for the game.
 
The game was a close one through the first half as McKendree led 10-6 at the half, before the Bearcats outscored the Spirit 11-6 in the second half to post the victory.
 
McKendree scored six of their 11 second half goals in the third period as Pelemis and Rodriguez scored the first three goals of the period and Serrano would cap in the period with second goal.
 
Ferguson, freshman Schuyler Cramer (Thornton, Colo./Horizon) and junior Sam Guffey (Fircrest, Wash./Curtis Senior) would score the final three goals of the game for the Bearcats.
 
Ottawa was paced offensively by four goals each from James Martin and Andrew Vana.
 
Fifth-year senior Ori Scanlon (Orlando, Fla./Olympia) played all 32 minutes in goal and allowed 12 goals to go with three saves.
 
Meanwhile, in the final game against Air Force (3-0 overall), the Bearcats were done in by the Falcons scoring seven goals in the first period to take a 7-0 lead after the opening eight minutes. The two teams played even over the next three quarters, including McKendree outscoring Air Force, 5-2 in the third period. In the period, the Bearcats opened the period with four unanswered goals.
 
Rojas and senior Josh Carlson (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln Way West) each scored two goals against the Falcons. For the game, eight different Gorloks scored.
 
Pelemis would score McKendree's first goal of the game just two minutes into the period to stop an 8-0 run by the Falcons. Along with scoring six goals on Sunday, Pelemis added two more goals on Saturday and finished the event with 11 goals.
 
Air Force's Grant Snyder and Sam Fuller each scored four goals in the win, while Gaving Jones and Ryan McLaughlin added two goals in the win.
 
Scanlon played all 32 minutes in goal as he added five saves and allowed 17 goals, while Anthony Tolbert had eight saves and allowed 10 goals.
 
McKendree will next be in action on Sept. 25-26 as they open Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference-West Division play by playing games in Erie, Pa., against Washington and Jefferson College, Mercyhurst and Gannon (Pa.) University. The Washington & Jefferson game is scheduled for 12 p.m. ET on Sept. 25, while facing Mercyhurst on Sept. 25 at 2 p.m. ET and Gannon on Sept. 26 at 10 a.m. ET.