Men's Water Polo Splits Saturday MPSF Games

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. - The Austin College men's water polo team got into MPSF East Division action on Saturday on the campus of Augustana, topping Penn State Behrend 14-6 to open the day before falling 9-7 to the host school. The 'Roos will be back in the pool for two more games against Washington & Jefferson and Connecticut College on Sunday.

The 'Roos jumped on top 3-1 in the opening game against PSB and finished the first quarter leading 3-2, and Austin College would use a 4-0 second quarter to take control and make it 7-2 at halftime. The 'Roos carried their momentum into the third, pushing the margin to 11-3 and then taking a 12-4 lead into the fourth. Austin College would twice go up as many as nine goals in the fourth, including taking a 14-5 lead on a tally by Greyson Gaworecki before PSB tacked on a goal in the final seconds.

Jack Stack and Sebastian Scheier each found the back of the cage three times in the win, while Gaworecki and Aidan Wade scored twice each. Nik Koelzer added a goal and two assists, and also chipped in three steals, and Anthony Sury, Nick Bates, and Tobias Ward each scored once. Alan Rosenberg made six saves and Liam Roberts had two while minding the goal for Austin College.

Austin College found itself in a defensive battle against Augustana in the second game of the day, finishing the first quarter with each team tallying once. The second quarter proved to be the biggest offensive frame for both teams, with Augustana scoring four times to three for the 'Roos as Austin College found itself trailing 5-4 at halftime. Augustana controlled the third quarter on their way to claiming an 8-5 lead heading into the fourth, and that margin would grow to 9-5 early in the final quarter. Sury and Wade each notched a goal in the closing minutes to cut it to 9-7, but that's where the comeback bid would end.

Rosenberg made 14 saves for Austin College while also adding a steal, and Sury paced the 'Roos with three goals. Ward, Dylan McArthur, and Nic Ruggiero scored once each in the loss.