SANTA CLARA, Calif. — At the Julian Fraser Memorial Tournament, Fresno Pacific men's water polo fell to Division I opponent Bucknell University, 21-12, in a neutral-site matchup at Sullivan Aquatic Center. The Sunbirds converted one penalty shot and one power-play goal in the contest.

Fresno Pacific opened the match with a strong start, as Christian Clark scored three consecutive goals in the first half, giving the 'Birds a 3-0 lead. The senior center has tallied eight multi-scoring matches this season. Bucknell responded with a flurry, as the Bison's combined for three goals, tying the score at 3-3. The teams exchanged goals rapidly, with Bucknell taking a 6-4 lead by the end of the first period.

In the second half, Bucknell extended their lead, scoring twice to push the score to 9-6. The Sunbirds battled to narrow the gap, but Bucknell's offense remained relentless, eventually securing a 21-12 victory.

Clark led the offensive effort with a season-high five goals on eight shots. Forrest Gray contributed a hat trick and one assist, also drawing three exclusions. Joey Brocar added a goal and two assists, despite being excluded three times. Chris Sandino was active defensively, recording four steals and adding two assists for FPU.

The Sunbirds are 3-13 overall and 1-2 in the WWPA conference.

UP NEXT:  FPU will play three more times against Division I sides in the Julian Frasier Memorial Tournament, facing off with Cal Baptist and Loyola Marymount on Saturday and University of the Pacific on Sunday.  

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