LEWISBURG, Pa. – The McKendree University men's water polo team concluded play here Sunday with a 1-1 record and a 1-3 weekend at the Bucknell Invitational held here at Kinney Natatorium.
McKendree opened the final day of the event with a hard-fought 8-7 loss to host Bucknell and then picked up a 22-12 win over Mercyhurst to conclude the weekend.
With a 1-1 record on the day, McKendree improves to 2-3 on the season.
McKENDREE 21, MERCYHURST 12
In its final game of the weekend, McKendree turned a 4-2 lead after the first period in a 17-7 lead after three periods as the Bearcats outscored the Lakers, 13-5, in the second and third periods respectively.
Six Bearcats scored multiple goals in the win as freshman center
Cale Koester (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way Central) and junior center
Breno Tebet (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Golden West College) combined for nine goals as Koester tallied five, incliding four in the second period, while Tebet had four goals, including two in the seven goal second period.
The other Bearcats with two or more goals in the win included fifth-year senior attacker
Tony Sunagawa (Chino Hills, Calif./Chino Hills) tallying three goals, while sophomore attacker
Schuyler Cramer (Thornton, Colo./Horizon), sophomore center defender
Alex Napawan (Chesterfield, Mo./Parkway Central), fifth-year senior attacker
Nico Rodriguez (Bogota, Colombia/Oviedo) and freshman center
Dylan Veccio (Miami, Fla./Belan Jesuit Prep) each had two goals for the Bearcats.
Sunagawa scored the first goal of the game for the Bearcats in the opening 35 seconds, before Mercyhurst scored two straight goals to take a 2-1 lead just a little under four minutes into the game.
Tebet, Sunagawa and freshman attacker
James Ramey (St. Louis, Mo./Ladue Horton Watkins) each scored a goal to give McK a 4-2 lead after the opening period.
McKendree scored the first four goals of the second period to push in front 8-2. Following two goals by the Lakers pushed them within 8-4, two goals by Koester and a goal by Tebet gave the Bearcats an 11-4 lead with 2:19 left in the second period. Mercyhurst would score two of the final three goals in the period to cut McKendree's lead to 12-6 at the half.
After the two teams traded goals to open the third period, the Bearcats capped the third period with four straight goals, including two from Cramer to take a 17-7 lead.
In the fourth period, Mercyhurst outscored the Bearcats, 5-4, to cap the scoring. In the fourth period, Napawan (2), Veccio and Koester each scored for the Bearcats.
The Bearcats had four exclusions in the win as Rodriguez drew two, while Koester and Sunagawa each had one.
Mercyhurst (1-5) got four of their 12 goals from Danilo Vujovic, while Teagan Thomas added two goals in the loss.
BUCKNELL 8, McKENDREE 7
Against Bucknell in Sunday's first game, the Bearcats held a 4-2 lead at the halftime, but they were unable to hold on for a win as the Bison outscored the Bearcats, 4-3 in the second half to post the victory.
After the two teams were tied at two after the opening period, the Bearcats used second period goals from Koester and Rodriguez to take its 4-2 halftime lead.
Bucknell (5-6) would score four of the five goals in the third period to take a 6-5 lead. The Bearcats lone goal came at the 5:56 mark of the period from sophomore attacker
Jespyn Bishop (Brighton, Colo./Brighton). Bishop's goal made the score 5-4 in Bucknell's favor.
The Bison would push its lead to 7-5 to start the fourth period, but the Bearcats would pull within one following a goal by Sunagawa. But, Bucknell added its eighth goal with 3:21 left in the period, before the Bearcats capped the scoring on a goal by Rodriguez with 3:05 left.
Bucknell got four goals from Andu Vlasceanu to pace the Bison.
UP NEXT
The Bearcats will return to action next weekend (Sept. 24-25) in Erie, Pa., as they compete at the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Crossover weekend. The Bearcats will open the weekend on Sept. 24 with games against George Washington, Bucknell and Johns Hopkins at 9 a.m. ET, 2:20 p.m. ET and 7:40 p.m. ET, before concluding the weekend on Sept. 25 with an 11:40 a.m. ET game against Mount St. Mary's.
