
Else, Colina Lead Bucknell Men's Water Polo to 13-11 Overtime Victory Over Harvard at Eastern Championship
11/19/2011 7:00:00 AM | Men's Water Polo
Nov. 19, 2011
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -Jack Else (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) drew a school-record nine ejections, Julian Colina (San Diego, Calif./Cathedral Catholic) netted a career high-tying four goals and the Bison converted 10 of 22 man-up opportunities as the Bucknell men's water polo team defeated host Harvard, 13-11 in overtime, Saturday afternoon at the Eastern Championship. The Bison advanced to Sunday's fifth-place game against conference rival Johns Hopkins.
Else, who also broke the program's single-season record for ejections drawn (since 2000) with 76, provided the most six-on-five opportunities for Bucknell in a game that featured 37 total ejections. He also scored three goals, had two steals and one field block as the Bison improved to 1-2 in overtime contests this year.
Bucknell (14-10) led 3-1 after the first quarter, but the score was tied after the second (5-5), third (8-8) and fourth (11-11) periods. The Bison trailed in both the third and fourth quarters and needed to come back to force overtime.
Harvard made the most of its six-on-five opportunities, converting 7 of 13 in the contest that saw neither team ever lead by more than two goals.
Colina and Else each scored a goal in overtime for Bucknell, cementing the victory.
While Colina and Else provided more than half of the Bison offense, Alex Nowlin (Coto de Caza, Calif./Cathedral Catholic) dished out five assists, his highest figure since Sept. 25 at George Washington. He is now just one assist shy of 10th-place Scott Schulte on the Bucknell single-season assist list with 61.
The Bison defense was strong in front of goalie Matt Napleton (Oak Park, Ill./Fenwick), recording 18 steals, including three apiece by Nowlin, Spencer Richley (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor) and all-conference selection Brian Barron (Oak Park, Ill./Fenwick). Napleton registered six saves and a pair of steals himself. Bucknell's offense took care of the ball, committing just three turnovers.
Trevor Reitz (Boynton Beach, Fla./Saint Andrew's School) had a solid outing, winning 4 of 6 sprints and totaling three assists.
Bucknell had defeated Harvard 18-8 in the only regular-season meeting between the two teams back in September.
The Bison are 2-1 this year against Sunday's opponent, Johns Hopkins. The two teams will meet at 11:30 a.m. With a win, Bucknell will finish in the top five at the Eastern Championship for an eighth consecutive year.
BUCKNELL 3 2 3 3 1 1 -13
HARVARD 1 4 3 3 0 0 -11
Goals: Colina (4), Else (3), Barron (2), Richley, Schwartz, Barnett, Kimble.
Assists: Nowlin (5), Reitz (3), Richley (2), Barron (2), Caillouette.
Field Blocks: Else, Nowlin, Schwartz, Kimble.
Ejections Drawn: Else (9), Richley (3), Kimble (3), Caillouette (2), Nowlin (2), Colina (2), Barron, Schwartz, Reitz.
Saves: Napleton (6 svs., 11 ga., 38:00 min.).
Steals: Nowlin (3), Richley (3), Barron (3), Else (2), Schwartz (2), Napleton (2), Caillouette, Colina, Reitz.
Sprints: Reitz (4-6).
Bucknell Record: 14-10.