Bucknell Men's Water Polo Splits First Day of Navy Invite

Saturday, September 4

Annapolis, Md.

2:15 p.m.

Bucknell University

Cal

Photo by: Marc Hagemeier

Bucknell Men's Water Polo Splits First Day of Navy Invite

9/4/2021 9:16:00 PM | Men's Water Polo

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The No. 17 Bucknell University men's water polo team split its first day of competition, falling 20-8 to third-ranked Cal before responding with a 16-11 win against Iona.

Game One: #3 Cal 20, Bucknell 8

The third-ranked Golden Bears showed their scoring prowess early, beginning the game on a 14-3 run in pulling away with a 20-8 victory.
Bucknell tied the game at one with 5:50 left in the first period on a goal by Andu Vlasceanu, but the Golden Bears went on to score three straight and four of the next five goals en route to a comfortable 5-2 lead at the end of the first period.

Bucknell would pull no closer than three the rest of the way, as the Golden Bears took the victory in the season opener for both teams.

Bucknell managed five different goal scorers, with Vlasceanu and Liam Stott each scoring a pair of goals to lead the Orange and Blue.

Game Two: Bucknell 16, Iona 11

Bucknell capitalized on 6-1 run to start the game en route to taking a 16-11 win over the Gaels in the nightcap. The Bison found the first goal of the game at the 5:39 mark of the first period on a goal by Josh Yardley, one of four in the game for the senior. Bucknell added goals from Vlasceanu and Ethan Jones over the next eight minutes to jump out to a 6-1 lead at the 6:09 mark of the second period.

Two straight goals from the Gaels pulled Iona with three at the 4:10 mark of the second period, but three straight goals from Bucknell by Jones, Vlasceanu, and Hasan Mogultay restored a six-goal advantage, 9-3, at the halftime break.

Iona would get no closer than three the rest of the way as the Bison managed seven different goalscorers in the nightcap. Yardley led the way with four goals along with Vlasceanu, while Matt Ryckman and Shay Gillearn each scored their first career goals for the Orange and Blue.

The Bison will return to action on Sunday for two games against UC Davis and Salem at the Navy Invite.