Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Penn State Behrend
Bucknell Men's Water Polo Wins Third Straight, Defeats Penn State Behrend 26-3
9/11/2010 8:00:00 AM | Men's Water Polo
Sept. 11, 2010
LEWISBURG, Pa. – One year after shutting out Penn State Behrend 25-0, the Bucknell men's water polo team posted a similar result over the Lions on Saturday morning. The Bison opened day two of the Bison Invitational with a 26-3 victory over Penn State Behrend. Freshman Stephen Norton (Boynton Beach, Fla./Saint Andrew's) led the offense with five goals and one assist.
Bucknell (5-1) has now won three straight games and has tallied 111 goals on the young season, an average of 18.5 per contest. In comparison, the Bison averaged just over 10 goals a game last year, netted 313 goals in 31 contests.
Bucknell led 25-0 early in the fourth quarter, making it 50 consecutive goals against Penn State the last two years. The Lions then outscored the Bison 3-1 over the final 6:41 of play.
The 26 goals were the most by a Bucknell squad since the 1994 team set the program record in a 34-6 victory over Johns Hopkins.
Bison starters were sprinkled into the lineup with reserves during the first half, but the second half featured plenty of freshmen in the pool. In fact, of the eight Bucknell players to post multi-goal outings, half were freshmen. Rookies Jack Else (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn), Andrew Somers (Saint Davids, Pa./Haverford School) and Trevor Reitz (Boynton Beach, Fla./Gulliver Prep) joined Norton to form the quartet of newcomers with at least two goals. Veterans Beau Caillouette (Newport Beach, Calif./Sage Hill School), Spencer Richley (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor), Howie Kalter (Durham, N.H./Phillips Academy Andover) and Brian Barron (Oak Park, Ill./Fenwick) also found the back of the net at least twice.
While the up-tempo Bison offense certainly clicked, the defense was just as strong, producing a season-high 24 steals. Norton collected a team-high five, while fellow freshman Uros Markovic (Serbia/North Allegheny (Pa.)) tallied four.
Matt Napleton (Oak Park, Ill./Fenwick) received his first start of the year in goal and kept Penn State Behrend scoreless in the first half, turning away two shots. He helped spearhead the offense as well with five assists, many leading to easy fastbreak goals. Miles Gilhuly (Orinda, Calif./Miramonte) played the second half and kept the Lions scoreless for nearly seven minutes, but they proceeded to score three goals against him, two in six-on-five situations.
Bucknell led 18-0 at halftime and had a commanding 25-5 advantage in shots at that point. It finished the game with 35 shot attempts, compared to 15 for Penn State Behrend.
The Bison will continue their busy weekend with a 12:15 exhibition game against Diablo Valley and a 7:30 p.m. contest against Brown later on Saturday. They will then wrap up play at the Bison Invitational with an 11 a.m. outing against No. 16 St. Francis (N.Y.).
PENN STATE BEHREND 0 0 1 2 -3
BUCKNELL 8 10 7 1 -26
Goals: Norton (5), Else (3), Caillouette (3), Richley (3), Kalter (2), Somers (2), Barron (2), Reitz (2), Nowlin, Hyden, Kimble, Fiske.
Assists: Napleton (5), Markovic (3), Colina (2), Reamey (2), Coghlan, Richley, Kalter, Somers, Schwartz, Norton, Kimble.
Field Blocks: Nowlin (2), Colina, Somers, Markovic.
Ejections Drawn: Hyden (2), Reamey, Barnett.
Saves: Napleton (2 svs., 0 ga., 16:00 min.), Gilhuly (2 svs., 3 ga., 16:00 min.).
Steals: Norton (5), Markovic (4), Barron (2), Reitz (2), Fiske (2), Gilhuly (2), Else, Coghlan, Caillouette, Nowlin, Richley, Kalter, Somers.
Sprints: Colina (1-2), Barron (1-1), Else (1-1).
Bucknell Record: 5-1
