NORTON, Mass. — The Wheaton College (Mass.) men's water polo team was unable to overcome a late run by visiting Pennsylvania State University Behrend  in a 17-7 loss this afternoon in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation action at Balfour Natatorium on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass.

The Lyons slip to 1-15 overall and 1-5 in MPSF play, while the Lions improve to 6-17 and 2-2.

Penn State Behrend earned a double-digit victory, despite Wheaton holding a 37-35 shot advantage for the match. 

Sophomore utility player Spyros Rapsomanikis (Kerkyra, Greece) scored three times and added two assists in addition to four steals and a field block to lead the Lyons. Sophomore two-meter defender Jack Ruggiero (Hamden, Conn.) netted a goal and made a steal, while sophomore attacker Jared Safren (Antigua, Guatemala) and freshmen attackers Bray Turner (Forney, Texas) and Jackson Kesserman (Buena Park, Calif.) each scored a goal for the home team. First year goalie Nic Boyer (Toledo, Ohio) picked up four steals and stopped 10 shots for Wheaton.

Sophomore utility player Nick Thompson (Hudsonville, Mich.) tallied a game-high five goals to lead the Thompson also added a field block to his day for PSB, while sophomore wing Atticus Bowman (Albuquerque, N.M.) collected five points, including a pair of goals in addition to a steal. Senior driver Ryan Carpico (Skippack, Pa.) netted three goals to go with a pair of steals and sophomore utility player Freddy Browarski (Austin, Texas) scored a goal, assisted on three others and came up with a game-high four steals and a field block. First year goalie Michael Kail (Forest Hill, Md.) was outstanding in net with 13 saves and two steals for the Lions.

Penn State asserted itself right away with nine unanswered goals, including four from Thompson, to take a comfortable lead with 3:46 to play in the second quarter. The Lyons came alive by scoring seven of the next 10 goals, fueled by a trio of goals from Rapsomanikis, to cut the deficit to 12-7 with 7:33 remaining in the contest. 

The Lions defense tightened up, while their offense closed out the contest with five straight goals, capped by a marker from Browarski, to come away with a 17-7 victory . 

Penn State returns to Balfour Natatorium tomorrow to play Connecticut College at 11:00 a.m., while Wheaton hosts Austin College at 12:30 p.m.