ERIE, Pa. – The men's water polo team had a very successful weekend as they grabbed three straight victories at the Erie Invitational Classic, with two coming against Penn State Behrend and one versus Washington & Jefferson College at the Hagerty Family Events Center in Erie, Pennsylvania.
GAME ONE vs. Penn State Behrend
BOX SCORE
Score: McKendree University 16, Penn State Behrend, 14
Record: Bearcats 2-4, 0-0 WWPA | Lions 2-6, 0-0 MPSF
HOW IT HAPPENED
McKendree's first game of the invitational was a close one for the books. Both sides played evenly within the first period of play as at one point, the Bearcats found the back of the net three straight times to take an early 3-1 lead. Two straight scores from the Lions evened it out with 15 seconds remaining in the quarter, but freshman attacker Alexandros Prokopis (Palaio Faliro, Greece) was able to slip inside his second goal with four ticks left to gain back the slight edge.
The Bearcats would try to separate themselves from the opposition with junior center defender Yannick Robertson (St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago) nailing back-to-back goals 27 seconds apart and put his squad's lead up to three. The junior capped off another sequential pair in the net later on in the third period as Prokopis came in clutch again with a goal scored with three seconds remaining in the quarter.
The home Lions team would make an effort to claw their way back into the game. Yet, once again, Robertson would connect on consecutive goal scores 30 seconds apart and hold off Behrend, despite their late push, 16-14.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
• Robertson went a perfect 6-for-6 on shot attempts to register a double hat-trick as he also picked up a pair of steals and a drawn exclusion.
• Prokopis and Le Goff also finished with hat-tricks with three goals each as the former rounded out with two assists, three steals, and a pair of drawn exclusions. The latter was everywhere with supplementing his scoring with one each of an assist, a steal, a field block, and drawn exclusion.
• McKendree went three-deep in cage duties with Gavin Haight (junior; Jenison, Mich.) and Brayden Ogle (Sophomore; Clovis, Calif.) each contributing eight minutes with the former finishing with a trio of saves and the latter coming empty-handed. The remaining 16 minutes were allotted to graduate goalkeeper Gennaro Pecoraro (Pesaro, Italy), who came away with four saves and two steals.
• The six Bearcat field blocks are a team high this season.
GAME TWO vs. Washington & Jefferson
BOX SCORE
Score: McKendree University 21, Washington & Jefferson College 10
Record: Bearcats 3-4, 0-0 WWPA | Presidents 1-5, 0-0 MPSF
HOW IT HAPPENED
W&J drew first blood on a power play possession 25 seconds into the match. However, McKendree took control throughout the rest of the first quarter with six straight scoring possessions, with each goal being scored by a different Bearcat player. The scenario would repeat itself in the second period of play, as the Presidents opened up with the quarter's first two scoring plays, but McKendree would again respond with six unanswered netted shots as both teams headed into halftime with the purple and gold leading significantly 12-3.
The Presidents' offense would become more apparent in half number two, as McKendree matched the firepower and not let the opposition inch any closer to their advantage. A 4-0 run by the Bearcats sealed the deal in the final game of the first day of the event and ran out with the commanding 21-10 victory.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
• Prokopis, Le Goff, and senior attacker Kris Eyolfson (Winnipeg, Canada) led the way with three goals apiece as each also registered at least two assists for seven total amongst the trio. Le Goff also finished with an abundant six steals on the defensive side.
• Robertson, junior attacker Emiliano Martinez (Mexico City, Mexico), senior attacker Quinten Gallagher (St. Louis, Mo.), and freshman attacker Jayden Del Campo (Winnipeg, Canada) all supplemented the significant scoring output with each registering a pair of scores.
• Haight and Ogle split guarding the net evenly with 16 minutes each. The former ended with six saves, one steal, and an assist, while the latter had a career-high seven saves.
• The 21 Bearcat team goals are the most since September 22nd, 2024, against Saddleback College in an exhibition, and most in a "counted" game since beating the Presidents on September 24th, 2023, in the Salem Invitational, 21-11.
• McKendree's 14 assists, 35 points (goals + assists), and 22 steals are all season-highs.
• The six steals taken away by Le Goff are the most by a Bearcat player since Jimmy Cronin had six against Fresno Pacific University on September 30th, 2023.
• The 11-score win was the biggest difference for the Bearcats since September 23rd, 2023, against Penn State Behrend, when they won 19-4.
GAME THREE vs. Penn State Behrend
BOX SCORE
Score: McKendree University 18, Penn State Behrend 6
Record: Bearcats 4-4, 0-0 WWPA | Lions 3-8, 0-0 MPSF
HOW IT HAPPENED
For the second straight game, McKendree would dominate their opponent in foreign waters. And for junior attacker Armand Le Goff (Reims, France), it was his show in the final day of the Erie Invitational Classic. He immensely helped the Bearcat offense start out with an 8-3 run in the first half of action by connecting on three goals, while Prokopis aided with a pair of his own.
After scoring the last goal of the first half of play, the Bearcats would tack on five straight to begin half number two, with Le Goff contributing on three of them to give himself seven goals with plenty of time remaining in the game.
Up by 10 with eight minutes to go in regulation, the Chicago connection would take over, with freshman center Joaquin Vazquez (Chicago, Ill.) scoring his first three career goals within the last period of play. Sophomore attacker Davion Nichols (Chicago, Ill.) also netted his first McKendree goal within the period as the Bearcats would rout the Behrend Lions 18-6 and end up going 3-0 in the invitational.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
• Le Goff ended with a career-high eight goals on 13 shot attempts (61.5%) and rounded out his monumental day with an assist, two steals, three drawn exclusions, and one field block.
• Prokopis and Vazquez each contributed a hat-trick, with both putting in three goals as the former had three steals and three drawn exclusions, while the latter had one of each plus a field block.
• It was another three-way time split for the Bearcat goalkeepers with Haight and Ogle each tabbing eight minutes with two and one saves, respectively, with each grabbing a steal. Pecoraro, in 16 minutes, had five saves and a trio of steals.
• Le Goff's eight goals are the most in a game by a McKendree player since James Ramey had eight against Mercyhurst University on October 27th, 2024.
• The three-game win streak is the longest for the Bearcat program since November 5th-November 6th, 2022.
UP NEXT
McKendree will be back in action early next week in a quick turnaround as they head to the Golden State of California from Wednesday, October 1st, to Saturday, October 4th, as they will play seven games across the four-day span, which will include competing in the prestigious annual Gary Troyer Tournament.
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