Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Princeton
Bison Can't Hold Off Princeton Comeback, Take Second at Southern Championships
11/9/2014 4:16:00 PM | Men's Water Polo
PRINCETON, N.J. – Playing in the Southern Championships title game for the fourth time in five years, the Bucknell men's water polo team was in solid position to win its second crown in three years with a four-goal second-half lead Sunday at Princeton's DeNunzio Pool, but the top-seeded and host Tigers scored seven of the game's final eight goals to post a 12-10 win over the third-seeded Bison.
Bucknell (15-8) was on fire offensively in the first half, tallying eight goals, including five in the second quarter. Nick Hale tallied all of his team-high three goals in the first half as the Bison took an 8-5 lead into intermission.
A goal by Tommy Stupp extended the Bucknell lead to 9-5 midway through the third quarter. However, the Bison would score just one more goal over the final 12 minutes of play. No. 9 Princeton (21-3) evened the score at 9-9 with 5:13 to play in the fourth and the Tigers took their first lead since it was 2-1 on a goal by Drew Hoffenberg with 3:44 to play.
A goal by Bucknell's Grant Curry tied the score with 2:10 to play, but Princeton's Jovan Jeremic and Thomas Nelson netted goals in the final 63 seconds to make it a final two-goal margin.
This was a rematch of the regular-season finale last Saturday at Kinney Natatorium that the Tigers also won by two goals.
Bucknell was active defensively with Sean Daley recording six steals and Stefan Aleksic, Hale and R.J. Moore collecting three apiece.
Daley finished with three assists, while Ratimir Babic and Curry tallied two goals apiece to join Hale in the multi-goal-scoring column.
Bucknell, which is ranked 12th nationally, has now finished in second place at the Southern Championships in three of the last five years. The Bison won the title in 2012.
Bucknell finished the weekend with a 3-1 record and earned an automatic berth the CWPA Championship, which will take place Nov. 21-23 at Navy. This is the 15th consecutive year the Bison will compete at the event that decides the conference's NCAA Championship representative.
BUCKNELL 3 5 1 1 -10
PRINCETON 4 1 2 5 -12
Goals: Hale (3), Babic (2), Curry (2), Aleksic, Hagen, Stupp.
Assists: Daley (3), Aleksic (2), Hale (2).
Ejections Drawn: Hunter (2), Aleksic (2), Daley (2), Curry.
Saves: Williams (5 svs., 12 ga., 32:00 min.).
Sprints: Daley (1-1), Curry (0-2), Hale (0-1).
Bucknell Record: 15-8.
