Bucknell University
Johns Hopkins
Bucknell Men's Water Polo Finishes Fifth at Eastern Championship Thanks to 15-8 Win Over Johns Hopkins
11/20/2011 7:00:00 AM | Men's Water Polo
Nov. 20, 2011
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. –Jack Else (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) concluded a strong weekend at the Eastern Championship with four goals, two assists and a pair of ejections drawn, and the Bucknell men's water polo team outscored Johns Hopkins 9-2 in the middle two quarters as the Bison defeated the Blue Jays 15-8 to finish in fifth place in the eight-team field. Bucknell finished its season with a 15-10 record and it posted its eighth consecutive top-five showing at Easterns.
The Bison, who finished with a 3-1 record against Johns Hopkins in 2011, trailed 3-2 at the end of the first quarter, but opened up a six-goal advantage (11-5) at the end of three periods.
First-year head coach John McBride started the team's five seniors, along with Else and junior goalie Matt Napleton. Those seniors – Nick Barnett (Houston, Texas/Clear Lake), Beau Caillouette (Newport Beach, Calif./Sage Hill School), Sam Fiske (La Jolla, Calif./The Bishop's School), Spencer Richley (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor) and Daniel Schwartz (Miami Beach, Fla./Ransom Everglades) – combined for five goals, seven assists, six steals, three ejections drawn and a pair of field blocks. Fiske, a four-year reserve, played especially well in extended playing time, registering one goal, one assist, two steals and two field blocks.
Bucknell converted 3 of 6 six-on-five chances, quite the difference from Saturday's overtime win over host Harvard that featured 22 man-up situations.
Sophomore Alex Nowlin (Coto de Caza, Calif./Tesoro) recorded one assist in the contest, boosting his season total to 62. That moved him into a tie for 10th place on the Bison single-season list with Scott Schulte, who posted 62 helpers as a freshman in 1977.
Napleton posted 12 saves while playing three quarters. He then gave way to freshman Keegan Williams (Menlo Park, Calif./Menlo School), who made a pair of stops.
A total of 13 different Bison registered at least one assist in the game.
Bucknell finished its 2011 campaign by winning five of its final seven games. It bounced back from an opening-round loss to Brown to defeat Harvard and Johns Hopkins this weekend.
Princeton and Navy squared off Sunday afternoon for the Eastern Championship title. The winner will receive the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Championship.
JOHNS HOPKINS 3 2 0 3 -8
BUCKNELL 2 6 3 4 -15
Goals: Else (4), Kimble (3), Colina (2), Schwartz (2), Caillouette, Richley, Barron, Fiske.
Assists: Else (2), Richley (2), Colina (2), Caillouette, Nowlin, Wattana, G. Norton, Somers, Barron, Schwartz, Barnett, Fiske, Williams.
Field Blocks: Fiske (2), Kimble.
Ejections Drawn: Else (2), Colina, Schwartz, Barnett, Fiske.
Saves: Napleton (12 svs., 5 ga., 24:00 min.), Williams (2 svs., 3 ga., 8:00 min.)
Steals: Else (2), Schwartz (2), Fiske (2), Caillouette, Colina, Norton, Barron, Napleton.
Sprints: Reitz (1-1), Richley (1-1), Barron (1-1), S. Norton (1-1).
Bucknell Record: 15-10.
