Bucknell University
Navy (Third-Place Game)
Men's Water Polo Comeback Forces OT but Bison Fall 15-13 to Navy at Southern Championships
11/8/2015 4:36:00 PM | Men's Water Polo
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Second-seeded Bucknell and fourth-seeded Navy had their sights set on the title game of the Southern Championships entering this weekend. Both squads lost in Saturday's semifinal round, but their third-place contest Sunday afternoon in Kinney Natatorium had all the intensity of a championship game.
Bucknell (16-11), which led by as many as three goals in the third quarter, needed two goals in the final two minutes of regulation to force overtime. Navy (14-10) scored on its first and last possessions in the extra session and claimed a 15-13 victory over the Bison.
It was a physical game throughout as there were seven players that fouled out, five yellow cards issued, five penalty shots and 37 total ejections. The crowd in Kinney Natatorium was the loudest for any game all season, especially during the final couple minutes of regulation.
Due to all the ejections, Bucknell played the overtime periods without starters Nate Hunter, Stefan Aleksic and Sean Daley. That trio combined for four goals, one assist and seven steals in regulation, while Navy's four players that fouled out scored just one goal.
The biggest difference in the game between the two sides was the success converting six-on-five opportunities. The Bison were 4-for-20 and 1-for-2 on penalty shots, while the Mids were a solid 7-for-12 and 2-for-3 on penalty shots.
A goal by Borna Bolanca staked Bucknell to a 9-6 lead midway through the third period, but Navy answered with four consecutive six-on-five goals to take a 10-9 lead early in the fourth period.
The teams alternated goals until David Huber converted a six-on-five opportunity, and one possession later Carpenter Warren scored on a penalty shot to give the Mids a 13-11 edge with just under four minutes to play.
Marko Djordjevic cut into that lead when he fired a long shot from the point position off a restart that found the back of the net, bringing the Bison to within 13-12 with 1:59 to play.
Ratimir Babic tallied the tying goal with 32 seconds remaining in similar fashion, scoring off a restart on what would likely have been Bucknell's final possession in regulation.
Warren, who finished the game with eight goals for Navy, scored on the first possession of overtime for the Mids. Navy then came up with a number of steals as Bucknell managed just five shots in the two overtime periods, while the Mids had four steals during that stretch.
A goal by Navy's Carl Dowzicky with 28 seconds left in overtime clinched the outcome.
Aleksic and Jeff Hagen led the Bison with three goals apiece, while Bolanca, Djordjevic and Babic each scored twice. Charlie Niehaus posted a season-high 14 saves in cage.
Aleksic's three goals pushed his career total over 200 (202), which is good for 10th place on the program's all-time list.
Sunday's contest marked Bucknell's second overtime game this season. The Bison also went to overtime during the regular season against George Washington and won 14-12.
Bucknell is now 1-2 against Navy this year as the teams split their regular-season series.
Thanks to the fourth-place finish at the 11-team Southern Championships, No. 15 Bucknell earned an automatic berth to the CWPA Championship, which will take place at MIT in two weeks. The Bison have qualified for that event, which decides the conference's automatic NCAA berth, every year since 2000.
NAVY 4 2 3 4 1 1 -15
BUCKNELL 3 4 2 4 0 0 -13
Goals: Aleksic (3), Hagen (3), Bolanca (2), Djordjevic (2), Babic (2), Daley.
Assists: Djordjevic (2), Babic (2), Wilder, Daley, Stupp.
Ejections Drawn: Hunter (7), Bolanca (2), Djordjevic (2), Daley (2), Hagen (2), Babic (2), Stupp (2), Aleksic.
Steals: Aleksic (4), Djordjevic (3), Daley (3), Stupp (3), Bolanca (2), Moore (2), Hagen (2), Babic, Farmer.
Saves: Niehaus (14 svs., 15 ga., 38:00 min.).
Sprints: Stupp (2-2), Daley (1-2), Bolanca (1-2).
Bucknell Record: 16-11.
