Bucknell University
Mount St. Mary's (Md.)
Men's Water Polo Takes 12-11 Sudden Death Victory Over Mount St. Mary’s
11/1/2024 9:26:00 PM | Men's Water Polo
EMMITSBURG, Md. – In a thrilling display of resilience and determination, the Bucknell men's water polo team clawed back from a four-goal deficit to edge out Mount St. Mary's 12-11 in sudden-death overtime on Friday night. The victory not only marked a crucial win for the Bison in the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) standings but also secured Bucknell's head coach John McBride a record-breaking achievement as the winningest coach in program history.
The game opened with a dominant start from Mount St. Mary's, who surged ahead 4-0 by the end of the first quarter. Bucknell regrouped, however, with Aleksa Stefanovic breaking the Bison's silence in the second quarter, and Hasan Mogultay followed with a penalty shot to narrow the Mountaineers' lead to 4-2. Although Mount St. Mary's responded with two more goals, Bucknell's offense gained momentum, setting the stage for a comeback.
The Bison continued to chip away in the third quarter as Shay Gillearn's shot brought Bucknell within one, and Matt Ryckman later scored to tie the game at 6-6. Gillearn earned Bucknell its first lead in the fourth quarter 8-7. With under two minutes remaining in regulation, Sean Tunnicliff tied the score again at 11, ultimately sending the game into overtime.
In a tense overtime, strong defensive efforts from both teams left the score unchanged through two extra periods. Finally, in sudden death, Tunnicliff delivered the game-winning shot, firing past the Mountaineers' goalie to secure a hard-fought 12-11 victory.
Stefanovic led Bucknell's offense with four goals, while Tunnicliff added three and Gillearn netted two. David Dumitru anchored the defense with crucial saves.
