WASHINGTON, Pa. — The Wheaton College (Mass.) men's water polo team was defeated by Pennsylvania State University Behrend, 20-6, this morning in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation contest at host Washington & Jefferson College's Henry Memorial Natatorium in Washington, Pa.

The Lyons fall to 0-7 on the season and 0-1 in league play, while the Lions improve to 4-6 and 1-0.

First year utility player Spyros Rapsomanikis (Kerkyra, Greece) led Wheaton with three goals, an assist and six steals, while first year attacker Jared Safren (Miami, Fla.) netted a pair of goals. First year 2-meter Michael Ruemelin (Chicago, Ill.) added a goal and first year 2-meter defender Josh Vander Wagen (Brookfield, Ill.) tallied two assists and a pair of steals. First year keeper Dylan Boccali (Ventura, Calif.) recorded eight saves.

Senior utility player Connor Bradley (Collegeville, Pa.) led Penn State Behrend with a game-high four goals, while senior 2-meter Jack Holl (Greenwich, Conn.), sophomore Robert Bakh (Issaquah, Wash.) and first year utility player Freddy Browarski (Austin, Texas) all netted three goals apiece. Senior goalie Leyton Vrono (Murrieta, Calif.) turned away 12 of 15 shots, while first year Andy Zhuri (Houston, Texas) stopped five of six shots. In addition junior Ethan Friedman (Valley Center, Calif.) turned back four of six shots on frame.

The teams traded a pair of goals each to open the contest with Bradley and Browarski scoring the first two markers of the match, before Rapsomanikis and Safren matched the effort to pull the Lyons even at 2-2 with 4:34 left in the opening quarter. 

The Lions scored the next five goals, before Safren scored for Wheaton to cut the deficit to 7-3 with 4:29 to go in the second period. Penn State Behrend scored three of the next four goals, including two from Bradley, to close the half with a 10-4 advantage. Rapsomanikis found the back of the net during the stretch for the Lyons. 

The Lions outscored Wheaton, 10-2, in the second half to come away with a 20-6 victory. Rapsomanikis and Ruemelin each scored during the session for the Lyons, while Bakh, sophomore utility player Evan Teeter (Erie, Pa.) and first year utility player Nick Thompson (Hudsonville, Mich.) scored two goals each to lead Penn State Behrend in the second half.