Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men's Water Polo to Host Bucknell Invitational This Weekend
9/8/2005 8:00:00 AM | Men's Water Polo
Sept. 8, 2005
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Kinney Natatorium, the same venue that will be hosting the NCAA Men's Water Polo National Championship in December, will serve as the backdrop for this weekend's Bucknell Invitational. A total of 15 games will be played, with the three-day event opening Friday, Sept. 9, at 6 p.m. with the host Bison playing UC San Diego, which is ranked seventh in the country.
Bucknell, which opened its 2005 campaign last weekend with a 2-2 record at the Navy Invitational, will play a total of five games this weekend. After playing a pair of teams ranked among the top-five in the nation last week, including second-ranked California, the Bison will battle three more ranked opponents this weekend. After opening with UC San Diego, Bucknell will face 13th-ranked Navy, a team it beat for the first time since 2000 last year, Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. On Sunday morning the Bison will take on Johns Hopkins, the 19th-ranked team, and the second-ranked squad in the latest Division III poll.
In addition to the ranked opponents, Bucknell will also battle Slippery Rock and Salem International this weekend.
Mark Masterson, a transfer from UC Irvine, led the Bison on the offensive end of the pool last weekend. The junior scored nine goals, including four during a 16-2 victory over Queens, and assisted on two others to pile up a team-high 11 points. Sophomore Jason Rechel, who netted 16 goals as a freshman, tallied six last weekend to rank second on the team. He also led the Bison in steals with eight, including a career-high five against Long Beach State.
Senior Trevor Mullins and junior Lucas Belenky split time in goal during the four games in Annapolis, Md. Mullins started all four games to extend his consecutive start streak to 40 and made 16 saves. Belenky, who entered the contests against Queens and MIT in the second quarter, stopped 10 shots and allowed just five goals in six quarters of work. Eight of those saves came against Queens, equaling his total from all of last year.
Bucknell's only other home game this year takes place Sunday, Oct. 2, against Princeton at 12 p.m.
Bucknell Men's Water Polo Invitational Schedule
Friday, Sept. 9
Bucknell vs. No. 7 San Diego, 6 p.m.
No. 19 Johns Hopkins vs. Slippery Rock, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 10
Salem International vs. Iona, 10 a.m.
No. 13 Navy vs. No. 19 Johns Hopkins, 11:30 a.m.
Bucknell vs. Slippery Rock, 1 p.m.
Bucknell "B" vs. Navy "B", 2:30 p.m.
No. 19 Johns Hopkins vs. Iona, 4:30 p.m.
Salem International vs. Slippery Rock, 6 p.m.
Bucknell vs. No. 13 Navy, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 11
Iona vs. Slippery Rock, 8 a.m.
Bucknell vs. No. 19 Johns Hopkins, 9:10 a.m.
Salem International vs. Navy "B", 10:20 a.m.
Navy vs. Iona, 11:30 a.m.
Bucknell vs. Salem International, 1:20 p.m.
Navy vs. Slippery Rock, 2:30 p.m.
