George Washington University
McKendree
Men's Water Polo Advances to MAWPC Semifinals
11/16/2018 8:50:00 PM | Water Polo
Colonials beat McKendree on Friday to open conference championship
BRONX, N.Y. - Atakan Destici posted four goals and six assists to lead second-seeded George Washington men's water polo past No. 7 McKendree, 16-6, in a Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference quarterfinal on Friday night.
The Colonials (20-6) kicked off their bid for a repeat conference title in convincing fashion, pulling away from the Bearcats at Fordham's Col. Francis B. Messmore Aquatic Center. They advance to face No. 3 Wagner in a semifinal Saturday at 6 p.m.
After a marathon bus trip to the championship caused by winter weather in the area, GW took care of business in its opener to beat the MAWPC West Region champions. Fresh off being named to the All-MAWPC First Team for a third time, Destici paced a balanced effort with nine different scorers. The junior from Turkey now has a career-high 138 points on the season.
GW scored the first two goals of the game and extended its advantage to 7-2 on a goal by Finn Lillis with 3:32 left in the first half.
McKendree hung tough, pulling within 9-5 in the third quarter, but the Colonials responded by scoring the next four goals and seven of the final eight to claim the comfortable victory. Destici and Jack Kerwin each scored a pair of goals in that closing stretch.
Kerwin finished with three goals and two assists, while first-years Henry Maas and DJ Davis recorded two goals apiece. Lillis, Andrew Mavis, Andras Levai, Jordan Blosser and Heath Faulkner all found the net once Friday.
GW's defense stifled McKendree from start to finish. Austin Pyrch made nine saves with four steals in the first half before Matt Taylor entered in net for the second half and stopped 11 shots with three steals. The Bearcats went scoreless over the final 8:02 of the game.
UP NEXT: GW is set to face Wagner in the semifinals after the Seahawks defeated No. 6 Johns Hopkins, 9-7, in the final game of the night. It's a rematch of last season's MAWPC final, which the Colonials won, 8-5.
GW edged Wagner, 15-14, in its 2018 season opener at the Navy Invitational before the Seahawks took a pair of down-to-the-wire meetings in MAWPC play. Top-seeded Bucknell will meet No. 4 Fordham in Saturday's other semifinal.
WATCH THIS: Hear from head coach Barry King, Destici and Kerwin after the win over McKendree.
GW 16, McKendree 6Hear from Head Coach Barry King, Atakan Destici and Jack Kerwin after tonight's MAWPC Championship quarterfinal win over McKendree. #RaiseHigh pic.twitter.com/uih3c9aKvg
— GW Water Polo (@GW_WaterPolo) November 17, 2018
GW--4-4-5-3--16
McKendree--2-1-3-0--6
GW Goals: Destici 4, Kerwin 3, Maas 2, Davis 2, Mavis 1, Levai 1, Blosser 1, Faulkner 1, Lillis 1.
GW Assists: Destici 6, Kerwin 2, Slaughter 2, Levai 2, Yardley 2, Maas 1.
GW Steals: Levai 4, Mavis 3, Slaughter 2, Faulkner 2, Pendolino 2, Destici 1, Gill 1, Schroeder 1.
GW Field Blocks: Faulkner 1, Kerwin 1, Mavis 1.
GW Ejections Drawn: Destici 4, Mavis 2, Kerwin 1, Levai 1, Yardley 1.
GW Saves: Pyrch 4, Taylor 3.
