Brown University
Johns Hopkins
No. 15 Men's Water Polo Beats Johns Hopkins, Drops Decision to No. 18 Bucknell
10/14/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Water Polo
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – No. 15 Brown University men's water polo topped Johns Hopkins University, 10-9, before dropping a 6-4 decision to No. 18 Bucknell University on Saturday at Blodgett Pool in the Harvard Invitational.
The Bears (11-8) rallied past the Blue Jays (11-10) – the No. 3 ranked team in Division III – behind a game-winning goal from junior Santiago Nunez (Miami, Fla.) with seven seconds to play prior to falling to the Bison (12-6), who extended their winning streak to 11 games.
Senior Rico Burke (San Mateo, Calif.) scored three goals vs. Johns Hopkins, and senior Tyler Kirchberg (Orinda, Calif.) netted a hat trick vs. Bucknell.
Next, Brown concludes the Harvard Invitational on Sunday with games against No. 19 Pomona-Pitzer (11:45 a.m.) and Boston Metro (3:30 p.m., exhibition).
Game 1 – No. 15 Brown 10, Johns Hopkins 9
Junior Santiago Nunez scored the game-winning goal with seven seconds left to lift No. 15 Brown to a 10-9 win over Johns Hopkins on Saturday morning in its first game of the day and its second contest at the Harvard Invitational.
Trailing 9-8 with under two minutes to play, senior Rico Burke (San Mateo, Calif.) tied the game with 1:45 remaining before Nunez (Miami, Fla.) netted the game winner with seven seconds on the clock against the Blue Jays, the No. 3 ranked team in Division III.
Burke paced the Bears with three goals while Nunez netted two goals. Seniors Tommy Bush (Lafayette, Calif.) and Tyler Kirchberg (Orinda, Calif.), sophomores Armen Deirmenjian (Beverly Hills, Calif.) and Galen Hu (Colleyville, Texas), and freshman Aidan Reilly (Los Angeles, Calif.) each registered one goal.
Junior Spencer Carroll (Newport Beach, Calif.) and Kirchberg each dished out two assists while Bush and Burke came up with three steals apiece.
Junior goalkeeper Will Renken (South Pasadena, Calif.) made 10 saves with an assist and a steal.
With the contest tied at 6-6 heading to the fourth quarter, Reilly gave Brown a 7-6 lead to open the period. After a pair of JHU tallies, Deirmenjian knotted the score again at 8-8 with 4:04 left. In the final 2:04, JHU scored once more before Burke and Nunez propelled the Bears to the victory.
In the first quarter, Burke opened the match's scoring before the Blue Jays scored back-to-back goals to take a 2-1 edge after one stanza.
Following a JHU goal to open the second quarter, Burke and Kirchberg netted consecutive goals to tie the game at 3-3. The Blue Jays scored twice in the half's final 27 seconds to gain a 5-3 edge at the break.
Brown used a 3-0 run to start the third quarter to pull ahead 6-5 midway through the period. Bush, Nunez, and Hu provided the offense for the Bears on the burst. JHU closed the quarter's scoring to draw level at 6-6 heading to the final period.
Brown 10, Johns Hopkins 9
Brown....................... 1…2…3…4…10
Johns Hopkins....... 2…3…1…3…9
Brown Goals: Burke 3, Nunez 2, Bush, Deirmenjian, G. Hu, Kirchberg, Reilly.
Brown Saves: Renken 10.
Game 2 – No. 18 Bucknell 6, No. 15 Brown 4
Senior Tyler Kirchberg scored three goals, but No. 15 Brown fell to No. 18 Bucknell, 6-4, on Saturday afternoon in its second game of the day and its third contest at the tournament.
The Bears held a 4-3 lead entering the fourth quarter, but the Bison took the final frame 3-0 to extend their winning streak to 11 games.
Kirchberg (Orinda, Calif.) tied for the game high with three goals and added three field blocks while sophomore James Thygesen (Menlo Park, Calif.) netted one goal. Senior Tommy Bush (Lafayette, Calif.) made a team-high six steals.
Freshman goalie Riad Hallal (Coronado, Calif.) totaled six saves and two steals.
After the Bison registered the only goal of the first quarter, the Bears outscored Bucknell 4-2 in the second stanza. Following a Bucknell goal to begin the second, Brown went on a 3-1 run to close the half.
Thygesen netted the Bears' first goal before Kirchberg scored a pair of goals on either side of a Bucknell marker to tie the game at 3-3 with 3:06 to play in the half. Kirchberg scored with seven seconds on the clock to give Brown a 4-3 advantage at the intermission.
Following a scoreless third quarter, Bucknell registered all three of the fourth frame's tallies to rally past Brown.
Bucknell 6, Brown 4
Brown....................... 0…4…0…0…4
Bucknell................... 1…2…0…3…6
Brown Goals: Kirchberg 3, Thygesen.
Brown Saves: Hallal 6.
