Bucknell University
Iona
Seven-Goal Third Quarter Propels Bucknell Men's Water Polo to 14-12 Win Over Iona
9/2/2012 8:00:00 AM | Men's Water Polo
Sept. 2, 2012
ANNAPOLIS, Md. –Freshman Stefan Aleksic scored all three of his goals in the third quarter and the Bison outscored Iona 7-4 in the period to break a halftime deadlock as the Bucknell men's water polo team defeated the Gaels, 14-12, Sunday morning to wrap up competition at the Navy Labor Day Open. The Bison opened their season with a 24-9 win over Notre Dame (Ohio) on Saturday and followed that with a 23-12 exhibition win over Mt. San Antonio.
Bucknell (2-0) and Iona were tied nine times during Sunday's close affair. The Bison outscored the Gaels 5-1 during a five-minute stretch spanning the end of the third quarter and beginning of the fourth to open a 14-10 advantage, the largest of the game for either team.
The score was tied at the end of the first quarter and again at halftime, but Aleksic led the third-quarter charge. The Bison tallied seven of the final 10 goals in the stanza.
Brian Barron matched Aleksic for team-high honors with three goals, while Alex Nowlin, Julian Colina and Uros Markovic netted two goals apiece. Nowlin recorded a team-high three assists to give him nine in two games this season.
Matt Napleton played all 32 minutes in cage and recorded seven saves.
Bucknell has now won seven consecutive meetings against Iona dating back to 2007.
The Bison will be in action next weekend at the Princeton Invitational. They will play four games in three days against a challenging slate of St. Francis (N.Y.), Cal, Brown and Fordham.
IONA 3 2 4 3 -12
BUCKNELL 3 2 7 2 -14
Goals: Aleksic (3), Barron (3), Nowlin (2), Colina (2), Markovic (2), Kimble, Else.
Assists: Nowlin (3), Markovic (2), Barron (2), Aleksic, Colina, Somers, Napleton.
Field Blocks: Aleksic, Colina.
Ejections Drawn: Else (4), Colina (2), Nowlin, Barron.
Saves: Napleton (7 svs., 12 ga., 32:00 min.).
Steals: Hale, Nowlin, Barron, Markovic.
Sprints: Barron (2-4).
Bucknell Record: 2-0.
