Bison trample chances for Eastern berth

With only 45 seconds left on the clock and the men's water polo team down two goals, senior utility Zach Beckmann connected with the net and brought his teammates to their feet as the No. 17 Bucknell (18-12 overall) squad stood stunned at the sudden comeback.

Seconds later, the Tigers (15-14, 3-5 Collegiate Water Polo Association Southern Division) drew an ejection and were a man up for the final 15 seconds. Executing pass after perfect pass as the clock wound down, Princeton rifled one last shot, only to see it graze the top goal post as the buzzer rang.

A goal would have sent the game to overtime. Instead, the near miss ended the Tigers' season with an 8-9 loss and a fifth place finish at the Southern Championships with a record of 2-2.

The Princeton team began the championships sluggishly Friday afternoon with a messy match-up against Gannon (13-9). Despite ending the half 7-1, the Golden Knights came back strong and added four goals in the third quarter while Princeton only netted one. The Tigers defense stepped up, however, and only allowed one goal in the final quarter, defeating Gannon soundly 9-6. Beckmann had three goals and senior goalie Scott Syverson had 10 saves in the game.

The Tigers started their Saturday morning with a decisive 7-2 win over Salem International University, but it was No. 10 Navy (26-5) that was on the back of everyone's mind. With a 16-game winning streak, the Midshipmen were the favorites to win the championships and the NCAA championship bid at the upcoming Eastern Tournament.

Princeton had come up short in both of its prior meetings with Navy this season, with each game decided by six points or fewer. The Tigers are the only team to ever defeat the Mids during Southerns. In fact, either Princeton or Navy has won the tournament in each of the past 10 years.

So when the Tigers walked into Navy's home pool that afternoon, spectators expected a nail-biter of a close game. But the Midshipmen only needed 15 minutes to set the tone, starting with a quick 3-1 lead at the end of the first. The Mids defense held Princeton at bay during the second quarter, as Navy continued to widen the gap with another three goals, ending the half with a 6-1 lead.

The Tigers fought back during the second half, netting two goals in both the third and fourth quarters, but they could not stop the five Navy goals that ended the match, 11-5. The Mids would go on to win the championships with an 11-7 victory over Johns Hopkins.

The loss to Navy forced the Princeton squad to meet No. 17 Bucknell for the fourth place match Sunday afternoon, which would decide who would take the last spot at the upcoming Eastern Tournament in Cambridge, Mass.

For 60 minutes, the Tigers fought an uphill battle, unable to close a two-point lead established by Bucknell early in the first quarter.

"It was a grudge match," freshman goalie Mike Merlone said.

With Princeton only one goal behind the Bison entering the third quarter, it appeared to be anyone's game. When Princeton scored to tie the game at 5-5, it seemed as if a come-from-behind win was in the making.

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"The whole time we were trying to catch up to the them, and they were one step ahead. We would make this great one-goal comeback, but then have a hard time tying it up," Merlone said.

The comeback would never materialize, as the Tigers failed to convert on their man-up advantage in the last 15 seconds of the game.

"It was the most excitement I've ever seen on our team, and it was a hard way to lose, but it was finishing on a positive note, seeing our team come together like that in last moments of the game," Merlone said.

Beckmann had two goals in the game, ending the season with 67 goals and 155 career goals, placing him fourth for goals in a season and fifth for career goals. Syverson had 13 saves, ending the season with 148 saves, the fourth highest total posted by any Princeton goalie, and 512 for his career, the second most in school history.