Bucknell University
#18 Princeton
Bucknell Men's Water Polo Can't Overcome Early Deficit, Falls 7-6 to No. 18 Princeton in Eastern Championship Semifinals
11/21/2009 7:00:00 AM | Men's Water Polo
Nov. 21, 2009
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Bucknell men's water polo team saw its hopes of advancing to its first Eastern Championship title game since 1993 halted Saturday evening as it lost to No. 18 Princeton in the semifinals by a 7-6 margin. The Bison did score the final two goals in the fourth quarter, but could not overcome an early 3-1 deficit.
Bucknell (16-14) and Princeton split the regular-season series with each team winning at home, but the Tigers have now won both postseason meetings by one-goal margins, having taken a 10-9 overtime decision in the semifinals of the Southern Championships two weeks ago.
The Bison, who are guaranteed of their third top-four finish at the Eastern Championship in the last five years, will play No. 20 Johns Hopkins in the third-place game Sunday at 1 p.m. Princeton will meet Navy in the championship contest at 2:30 p.m. The winner of that game will earn the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Championship, which will be played at Princeton's DeNunzio Pool early next month.
Spencer Richley (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor) and Howie Kalter (Durham, N.H./Phillips Academy Andover) led Bucknell with two goals apiece, but the early 3-1 deficit was too much to overcome for the Bison. They did hold Princeton without a goal over the final 12:44 of play, but only goals by Sean Coghlan (Chicago, Ill./Brother Rice) and Kalter in the final 2:05 of play cut into a late 7-4 Tigers' advantage.
Nick Donahue (Brooklyn, N.Y./Lawrenceville) registered seven saves in goal for Bucknell, bringing his season total to 209, just four shy of his career high from one year ago.
Richie Hyden (Melbourne, Australia/Greenwich (Conn.)) netted one goal, drew a team-best five ejections, tied for the team lead with two steals and recorded two field blocks in a solid all-around game.
With a win Sunday, Bucknell will have its best finish at the Eastern Championship since a runner-up showing in 1993. Additionally, it would post three straight campaigns with at least 17 victories for the first time since 1998-2000.
BUCKNELL 1 2 1 2 -6
PRINCETON 3 2 2 0 -7
Goals: Richley (2), Kalter (2), Coghlan, Hyden.
Assists: Coghlan, Kalter, Donahue.
Field Blocks: Hyden (2), Reamey, Barnett.
Ejections Drawn: Hyden (5), Coghlan (2), Stupp (2).
Saves: Donahue (7 svs., 7 ga., 32:00 min.).
Steals: Hyden (2), Stupp (2), Coghlan, Kalter, Donahue.
Sprints: Barron (1-3), Coghlan (0-1).
Record: 16-14.
