Bucknell University
San Jose State
Men's Water Polo Splits First Day of Contests at the Harvard Invite
10/19/2024 12:26:00 PM | Men's Water Polo
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- The Bison men's water polo team opened the Harvard Invitational with a 13-7 loss to San Jose State this morning, but they bounced back in style, closing the day with a dominant 21-13 victory over Long Island.
Bucknell 7, San Jose State 13
The first game of the day was a tightly contested battle through the opening quarter, with neither team able to pull ahead by more than a single goal. San Jose gained momentum in the second quarter, stringing together three unanswered goals to take control heading into halftime. Bucknell found the back of the net through Shay Gillearn, Hasan Mogultay, Aleksa Stefanovic, Sean Tunnicliff, Greg Nordheim, and two goals from Tyler Hedblad.
Bucknell fought hard but couldn't quite close the gap in their contest against San Jose State. Despite keeping the game competitive early on, the Bison trailed by as many as five goals and couldn't break through for a lead. David Dumitru was impressive in goal, making 13 saves to keep Bucknell within striking distance.
While the Bison couldn't fully recover on the scoreboard, they found success elsewhere, winning 3 of the 4 sprints against the Spartans.
Bucknell 21, Long Island 13
Bucknell started slowly in their matchup against Long Island but surged to a commanding 21-13 victory by the end. After trailing by one at the close of the first quarter, the Bison's offense kicked into gear, taking a 10-8 lead into halftime. Stefanovic and Jovan Udovicic each found the back of the net five times, with Shay Gillearn adding three. Tyler Hedblad and Sean Tunnicliff chipped in two goals apiece, while Jack Murad, Ned Smith, and Matt Ryckman each contributed one.
The second half was dominated by Bucknell's defense, allowing just five goals while netting seven of their own. Dumitru anchored the defense with 24 saves and three steals. Ryckman and Udovicic were also key, each drawing three ejections to help secure the win.
