SANTA CLARA, Calif. - In their season opening weekend, the No. 16 Bronco men's water polo team defeated three ranked teams, posting a 3-2 record, at the Bruno Fall Classic hosted by Brown University in Providence, R.I.
In their first game, the Broncos faced No. 14 Brown. Graham McClone started off the game with a goal for the Broncos, but the Bears quickly tied the game, 1-1. Will Grant was able to find the back of the net to give the Broncos the 2-1 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Brown started off the second quarter with a goal to tie it two all and another goal to take the 3-2 lead. David Guibord answered back to tie things up at 3-3. Graham McClone and Mark Davis each had a goal to give the Broncos the 5-3 lead going into half.
Grant and Matt Kochalko came out firing after half to continue the Broncos lead, 7-3. Brown battled back with two of their own, but it was not enough. John Raineri scored his first of the game and after one more by Brown the third quarter ended 8-6, Bronco advantage.
Graham McClone put in two more goals, and that sealed the deal for the Broncos. Grant also scored his third of the game. The Broncos left with the 12-7 win.
Next, the Broncos played a nail-bitter of a game against No.18 Harvard. James Rude started the Broncos off with a goal, but Harvard quickly tied the game up. Evan Chang put one in for the Broncos but the Crimson went on a three-goal run taking a 4-2 lead. Davis put his first of the game in to stop the run but the Crimson held onto a 5-3 lead going into the second.
Davis found the back of the net to bring the Broncos within one and Graham McClone followed up with another to tie the game 5-5. Raineri scored but the Crimson took it into half with the 7-6 lead.
Harvard started off the third quarter with a goal but Demarco Orella scored to keep the Broncos within one, 8-7. Rude scored his second of the game to tie it 8-8. Harvard ended with a two-goal run to take back the lead, 10-8.
In the fourth quarter, Harvard increased their lead, 11-8, but the Broncos fought back going on a four-goal run. Davis, Graham McClone, and Chang each scored to give the Broncos the 11-11 tie. In the final minute of the game, Graham McClone scored off of a timeout play and the Broncos came out with the 12-11 win over Harvard.
After such a hard fought game against Harvard, the Broncos didn't have enough steam in their second game of the day to defeat St. Francis. The Broncos kept the game close, but didn't overcome St. Francis and were defeated 9-7.
Graham McClone, Chase Schaaf and Grant each scored in the first quarter to keep the game tied 3-3. St. Francis went on a two-goal run in the second and with one goal by Davis, St. Francis kept the lead, 5-4.
With a goal by Guibord and one by St. Francis, the game was 6-5 going in the fourth, St. Francis advantage. Raineri and Grant each had a goal in the fourth but St. Francis maintained their lead, giving the Broncos their first loss of the season.
In their fourth game, the Broncos faced rival No. 14 Navy. With goals by Kochalko and Shaaf and two from the Midshipmen, the first quarter ended tied two all.
The Broncos played tough defense in the second and third quarter and were able to keep the Midshipmen scoreless until the fourth. Goals by Davis, Raineri, Orella and three by Grant gave the Broncos an 8-2 lead going into the fourth.
The Midshipmen were able to put in five goals in the fourth quarter, but the Broncos kept them at bay. With two goals by Davis, and one from Graham McClone and Michael Franco the Broncos finished with the 12-7 win.
In their final game of the weekend, the Broncos faced MIT. MIT jumped out to an early two goal lead. The Broncos answered with three goals of their own by Davis, Chang and Richard Daly.
MIT tied the game in the second and went on a three-goal run to take the lead from the Broncos. Grant scored in the final minute of the second quarter to keep the Broncos within one, 5-4.
MIT out-scored the Broncos in the third 4-2 to increase their lead, 9-6. Kochalko and Raineri each scored but it wasn't enough for the Broncos. Davis put in two more and Graham McClone had one more but the Broncos were defeated by MIT 12-10.
