Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
St. Francis Brooklyn
Men's Water Polo Falls to St. Francis Brooklyn, 8-7, in First Game at CWPA Championship
11/21/2014 10:35:00 PM | Men's Water Polo
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Bucknell men's water polo team scored three goals in the first four minutes of play and took a 5-1 lead to halftime, but St. Francis scored five unanswered goals in the second half en route to an 8-7 victory over the Bison Friday in the quarterfinals of the CWPA Championship.
Bucknell (15-9) entered the tournament ranked 13th nationally and as the fourth seed, and can still finish as high as fifth place. The fifth-seeded Terriers who are ranked 19th nationally will move on to Saturday's semifinals to take on Brown.
Sean Daley scored two goals in the first two minutes of play and Stefan Aleksic added one midway through the first quarter to stake the Bison to an early 3-0 lead in a rematch of the 2012 CWPA Championship Game. Goals by Grant Curry and Ratimir Babic in the second quarter gave Bucknell its four-goal halftime cushion.
St. Francis clamped down defensively as the Bison did not score for nearly 14 minutes. During that span the Terriers scored five straight goals to take their first lead. A Curry goal with 4:54 to play in the fourth quarter evened the score, but St. Francis scored back-to-back goals in the final three minutes of play to seal the win.
Curry, Babic and Daley finished with two goals apiece for Bucknell, which has finished in the top five at the CWPA Championship 10 straight years. Keegan Williams recorded five saves in cage.
The Bison will take on George Washington at 2 p.m. Saturday. The winner will move on to Sunday's fifth-place contest. Bucknell is 2-0 against the Colonials this season.
ST. FRANCIS 0 1 4 3 -8
BUCKNELL 3 2 0 2 -7
Goals: Daley (2), Babic (2), Curry (2), Aleksic.
Assists: Aleksic, Hale, Moore.
Ejections Drawn: Hunter (2), Hale, Curry.
Saves: Williams (5 svs., 8 ga., 32:00 min.).
Sprints: Hale (0-2), Curry (0-2).
Bucknell Record: 15-9.
