Brown University
Fresno Pacific
Kirchberg Leads No. 19 Men's Water Polo to Comeback Win over Fresno Pacific, 9-8
10/22/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Water Polo
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Senior Tyler Kirchberg scored a game-high five goals, including the game-winning goal with 50 seconds to play, to lead No. 19 Brown University men's water polo to a 9-8 win over Fresno Pacific University on Sunday morning at the Sullivan Aquatic Center.
Playing their fourth and final game at Santa Clara University's Julian Fraser Memorial Tournament, the Bears (15-9) used a 6-0 run to turn a 7-2 deficit midway through the third quarter into an 8-7 lead late in the fourth frame before edging the Sunbirds (5-13) inside of the final minute.
Brown went 4-0 during its three days at the tournament, defeating No. 18 Cal Baptist (11-10), Loyola Marymount (11-9, OT), host Santa Clara (12-11), and Fresno Pacific. A total of 15 goals have decided Brown's last 13 games with the Bears playing in three overtime contests during that span and compiling an 8-5 overall record.
Facing a 7-2 deficit with less than five minutes to play in the third quarter, Kirchberg (Orinda, Calif.) scored the game's next three goals with a pair of 6-on-5 tallies in the third and a marker off a counter early in the fourth frame, bringing Brown within 7-5 with 6:44 left.
Senior Rico Burke (San Mateo, Calif.) then netted back-to-back goals before sophomore Armen Deirmenjian (Beverly Hills, Calif.) scored to give Brown its first lead of the game at 8-7 with 2:11 to play. FPU tied the score at 8-8 with 1:00 left, but Kirchberg countered with the game winner with 50 seconds to go.
Freshman goalkeeper Riad Hallal (Coronado, Calif.) made nine saves as he and the Bears' defense allowed just one goal over the game's final 12:52.
The Sunbirds scored the only goal of the first quarter and went ahead 2-0 early in the second stanza prior to a goal from senior Tommy Bush (Lafayette, Calif.). Kirchberg's first goal of the game cut the margin to 3-2 midway through the second before FPU brought a 4-2 edge into halftime.
Fresno Pacific accounted for the first three goals of the third quarter before the Bears proceeded to outscore the Sunbirds, 7-1, over the final 12:52, including six unanswered goals to start the run.
Kirchberg catalyzed the comeback with the first three goals in the burst before Burke's consecutive goals and Deirmenjian's marker that put the Bears in the lead for the first time. After FPU equalized, Kirchberg pushed Brown back ahead before a steal from Deirmenjian sealed the game.
Next, Brown returns home to the Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Center to host NWPC games against No. 12 St. Francis Brooklyn (Oct. 28, 7:00 p.m.), No. 14 Princeton (Oct. 29, 10:00 a.m.), and Iona (Oct. 29, 2:30 p.m.).
Brown 9, Fresno Pacific 8
Brown....................... 0…2…2…5…9
Fresno Pacific......... 1…3…3…1…8
Brown Goals: Kirchberg 5, Burke 2, Bush, Deirmenjian.
Brown Saves: Hallal 9.
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