PROVIDENCE, RI – The St. Francis College Brooklyn men's water polo team concluded its opening weekend at the Bruno Invitational with three victories. The Terriers opened strong, managing to go on a three-match win streak, but fell just short of achieving the perfect weekend by falling to Bucknell in the final match of the tournament.
St. Francis bested California Baptist out of the West Coast, then dominated McKendree on the first day of the Invitational. They split the second day, managing a clutch victory against Wagner, only to ultimately fall to Bucknell. Through the first weekend of the season the Terriers hold a 3-1 record, their best start since the 2010 campaign.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
St. Francis Brooklyn – 11 | California Baptist – 10
- The Terriers opened the Invitational the right way, setting the tempo from the get-go. After the even score at the end of the first period, the Brooklynites managed to lead in every single quarter of the game.
- The Lancers tried to make a comeback in the last stanza of the contest (CBU topped the Terrier, 3-1, in the fourth), but were ultimately unable to overcome the deficit.
- The Terriers offense was led by junior Ivan Stefanovic with four goals.
- Freshman Vladimir Mickic added two goals and assisted the offense by drawing four ejections. Two goals were also added by senior William Lapkin.
- William Simpson, Boris Posavec, and Zane Drobenko each added a goal apiece, contributing to the 11-goal effort by the Terriers.
St. Francis Brooklyn – 18 | McKendree – 7
- The Terriers defeated McKendree, 18-7, in the second match of the tournament. The 11-goal margin of victory was the largest for the Terriers over the four matches this weekend.
- With the 6-1 lead in the first period, the eventual victor was clear from the beginning.
- Many of the Terriers added their own signature to the scoresheet. Dominick Hevesi and Stefanovic totaled three goals each. Two goals were added by Mickic and Nikola Nikolic.
- Simpson, Lapkin, Ricardo Berenguer, Posavec, Tadeu Rodrigues, Matheus Santos, Zane Drobenko, and Alexander Teplitsky all added a single tally to the ledger.
St. Francis Brooklyn – 10 | Wagner – 9
- In the most suspenseful game of the weekend, the lead went back-and-forth between the Terriers and Seahawks.
- The victor remained uncertain until the very last seconds of the game. With 14 seconds remaining on the clock, Posavec managed to draw a five-meter shot. Stefanovic took it and capitalized, leading the Terriers to victory.
- Simpson, Lapkin, Hevesi, and Stefanovic all scored two goals.
- The remaining tallies were added by Rodrigues and Drobenko.
St. Francis Brooklyn – 10 | Bucknell – 13
- The Terriers opened strong, taking the lead in the first stanza of the game. As the game progressed, the Bison took the lead, as their gained a significant advantage at the end of the third frame.
- Ultimately, the Terriers were unable to close the gap, falling in the final match of the tournament.
- Hevesi led the Terriers' offense with three goals. He was aided by Mickic with two goals from the set.
- Lapkin, Rodrigues, Stefanovic, Santos, and Nikolic all scored one goal for the Terriers.
UP NEXT:
The Terriers travel to Princeton to participate in the Tiger Invitational. The first game of the tournament is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. St. Francis jumps in the water opposite UC San Diego.
