ERIE, Pa. – The McKendree men's water polo team lost two games here on the opening day of the Erie Conference Crossover Weekend hosted by Mercyhurst University and held at the Hallman Aquatic Center
The Bearcats opened the day with a 17-7 loss to George Washington, followed by a 12-3 loss to Bucknell later on Saturday afternoon.
The two setbacks place McKendree at 2-5 on the season as they headed into their final game of Saturday against Johns Hopkins.
McKENDREE 7, GEORGE WASHINGTON 17
In their opening game against George Washington, McKendree saw seven goals from seven different Bearcats. McKendree jumped out with a quick goal from graduate student
Josh Carlson (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln Way West) in the first minute and 30 seconds of the game. By the end of the first period, both teams had found the back of the net four times. Although the Bearcats would score two more goals to start the second period, the Colonials answered with their own two scores to draw the match at 6-6 for the half.
George Washington would score 10 more goals in the second half before the Bearcats answered with their final goal of the game from freshman
Quinten Gallagher (St. Louis, Mo./CBC). The final score read McKendree 7, George Washington 17.
Junior goalkeeper
Jimmy Cronin (Naperville, Ill./Metea Valley) played all four periods in the net for McKendree, tallying 11 saves and one steal in the game.
McKENDREE 3, BUCKNELL 12
In McKendree's second game of the day, Bucknell's defense held the Bearcats to just three goals. The Bison kicked off the game with two scores in the first period followed by five more goals in the second period. McKendree's lone goal of the half was scored by freshman
Cale Koester (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln Way Central), setting the score at 7-1 at the end of the half.
The Bearcats saw two more goals in the second half from freshman
Zach Callejas (Miami, Fla./Belen Jesuit Prep) and Gallagher, but could not overcome the nine-goal lead held by the Bison. The final score read Bucknell 12, McKendree 3.
McKendree will conclude the two-day event with an 11:40 a.m. ET game against Mount St. Mary's on Sunday and then will head to Claremont, Calif., next weekend to compete in the Gary Troyer Invitational.
