Bucknell University
Johns Hopkins
Bucknell Men's Water Polo Takes Fourth at Southern Championships After 11-9 Loss to Johns Hopkins
11/9/2008 7:00:00 AM | Men's Water Polo
Nov. 9, 2008
PRINCETON, N.J. – The Bucknell men's water polo team squared off with Johns Hopkins in the third-place game of the Southern Championships Sunday afternoon at Princeton's DeNunzio Pool and came away with a tough 11-9 loss. The Bison, who earned a berth in the Eastern Championship for the ninth consecutive year by virtue of the top-four finish, have finished either third or fourth at Southerns nine straight years.
Bucknell (15-15) had beaten the Blue Jays eight consecutive times, including twice this year by a combined 23-12 score. The two teams entered the fourth quarter Sunday knotted at 7-7, but Johns Hopkins (16-15) outscored the Bison 4-2 in the final period and netted the clinching goal with 39 seconds on the clock.
Bucknell was forced to play the final quarter without leading scorer Richie Hyden (Melbourne, Australia/Greenwich (Conn.)), who fouled out in the third quarter. Hyden finished with two goals and one assist. Howie Kalter (Durham, N.H./Phillips Academy Andover) picked up some of Hyden's scoring slack by posting a team-high five points on three goals and two assists. All three goals came in six-on-five situations and he finished with eight goals and three assists in the three games this weekend.
In addition to his three points, Hyden did draw a team-high four ejections. Overall, the Bison earned 14 ejections, their second-highest total of the season.
Starters Randy Ang (Hillsborough, Calif./Sacred Heart Prep) and Johnny Stupp (St. Louis, Mo./Mary Institute) did not contribute to Bucknell's scoring tally, but they did equal Kalter for team-high honors with two assists apiece.
Nick Donahue (Brooklyn, N.Y./Lawrenceville) made six saves in goal behind a Bison defense that totaled seven steals.
Bucknell, which was the third seed in the 10-team field, has now lost five of its last seven games, but this was the first one to an unranked foe. Johns Hopkins was the fifth seed.
Navy and Princeton, which squared off for the Southern Championships title later Sunday afternoon, are the other two teams from the CWPA Southern Division in addition to Bucknell and Johns Hopkins that qualified for the eight-team Eastern Championship that will take place at Navy in two weeks.
JOHNS HOPKINS 3 2 2 4 -11
BUCKNELL 2 3 2 2 -9
Goals: Kalter (3), Hyden (2), Coghlan (2), Heiber, Lovell.
Assists: Stupp (2), Kalter (2), Ang (2), Hyden, Nelson, Coghlan.
Ejections Drawn: Hyden (4), Lampley (3), Coghlan (2), Caillouette (2), Heiber, Ang, Stupp.
Saves: Donahue (6 svs., 11 ga., 32:00 min.).
Steals: Stupp (2), Heiber, Hyden, Ang, Lampley, Donahue.
Sprints: Hyden (1-2), Coghlan (0-1), Stupp (0-1).
Record: 15-15
