Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men's Water Polo European Tour Update #10
7/8/2007 8:00:00 AM | Men's Water Polo
July 8, 2007
Entry by Todd Newcomb, Bucknell Associate AD
For other entries, please click here.
JULY 7
The weekend is in full force here in Eger, and the 50,000 additional tourists are starting to flood the town for the famed Eger Wine Festival. The team met at the pool for our final competition of the trip -- tournament games against South Africa and the Division 2 Hungarian professional team.
The team from South Africa was much younger than ours, and was in the tournament to gain experience against some older and more physical competition. The Bison scored five goals in the first period and held a commanding 9-2 lead at halftime. The team used the second half to work on discipline within its game, using almost the entire shot clock on every possession before shooting.
While the 13-3 outcome was somewhat lopsided, the contest was a good warmup for what was sure to be a much more physical game against the Division 2 Hungarian professional team. Alex Lampley, Mark Masterson, Jason Rechel and Lee Anderson each had a pair of goals in the win, while Randy Ang, Alex Lovell, Kyle Roslyn, Peter O'Keefe and Sean Robinson each scored once. Nick Donahue tallied six saves in net, while Luke Belenky made two.
After a short break, the Orange and Blue were right back in the water for their final game here in Eger. The Division 2 team was big and physical, and somewhat more focused going into this game having been beaten by us earlier in the week.
The contest was a game of runs, and each time the Division 2 team lengthened its lead we were able to fight back. After falling behind 2-0 in the first period, Bucknell rallied to ties the score on goals by Sean Robinson and Andrew Nelson. Nelson's goal came on an assist from Belenky, his third of the tournament.
The Division 2 team opened the second quarter with three unanswered goals, including one on a man-up situation. But again the Bison countered. Jason Rechel and Robinson scored back-to back goals to make the score 5-4, before Rechel tied the game with 0:17 remaining in the half.
Bucknell fell behind again in the third, as the Division 2 team put three in the net, including one on a penalty shot. The Bison entered their final period of competition here in Europe trailing 8-6, but the intensity level was about to pick up.
After the Division 2 squad padded its lead to 9-6, the Orange and Blue scored four unanswered goals to grab their first lead of the game at 10-9. Three of the four tallies came on man-up situations. But the tables turned when the Division 2 squad tied the score on a man-up goal of its own.
The teams tightened the defense down the stretch, with every shot being contested. Bucknell scored what looked to be the possible winning tally, but Randy Ang was ruled inside the 2-meter line before he received the pass, therefore nullifying the goal. The game ended in a 10-10 tie. While it wasn't as satisfying as a win, the team was happy with the way it battled back consistently during the game.
Rechel led the team in scoring with three goals, followed by Robinson with two. Andrew Nelson, Mark Masterson, Randy Ang, Kyle Roslyn and Alex Lampley each scored once in the game. Defensively, Luke Belenky made six saves in net, while Nick Donahue recorded five.
Our final tournament record stands at 2-0-1. Not bad for a bunch of Americans playing in a foreign land where polo stands supreme.
Our final offensive numbers for the trip showed Jason Rechel leading the team with 29 goals, followed by Alex Lampley with 24. Lee Anderson (14), Mark Masterson (10), Andrew Nelson (10), Randy Ang (10), Kyle Roslyn (9), Alex Lovell (8), Peter O'Keefe (7), Sean Robinson (7), Josh Sunday (5) and Johnny Stupp (4) rounded out the stat sheet in order. Nick Donahue registered a total of 71 saves in net during the trip, while Luke Belenky had 51.
The team returned to the Hotel Aqua for some lunch. Following the meal, many of us napped while others played poker (Nelson vs. Coach Zeigler, a game purely for bragging rights and Nelson was the victor!). At 4:30 we assembled at one of the local watering holes to watch the Hungary-Croatia World Cup game on TV. The Hungarians dominated a very good Croatian team in the contest.
At 6:00 we met up with our host, Emir, at the outdoor pool and he escorted us to the "Valley of the Beautiful Women" where we were treated to some wine tasting in one of the underground cellars of Eger. After hearing the history of the different wines and sampling some, most of the team returned to the hotel for a late dinner.
Those of us who stayed around were treated to a private tour of the wine cellar in the owner's home. A husband-wife operation, it was amazing to see all that goes into the preparation of a good wine.
After dinner the team spent time walking through town and visiting the Eger Wine Fesitival in Dobo Square. Music, food and beverage were everywhere and the town was filled with visitors from all around the world for the festival.
