No. 15 Navy Water Polo Pulls Away From Bucknell for 15-8 Conference Victory
No. 15 Navy water polo continued its impressive start to the 2026 season Sunday afternoon, defeating Bucknell 15-8 at Kinney Natatorium in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. The Midshipmen broke open what had been a competitive conference battle by scoring the final five goals and shutting out Bucknell in the fourth quarter. Navy improved to 12-2 overall and remained unbeaten at 3-0 in Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference play while snapping the Bison’s six-game winning streak.
The victory also completed a dominant two-game conference road trip for Navy. The Midshipmen had overwhelmed Mercyhurst 20-4 one day earlier, meaning Navy outscored its two Pennsylvania opponents by a combined 35-12 over the weekend. Navy has now established itself as one of the teams to beat in the MAWPC as the regular season moves deeper into October.
Bartlett Leads Balanced Navy Attack
Junior attacker Quinn Bartlett led the Midshipmen offensively with four goals against Bucknell. Aiden Day and freshman Declan Bartlett each recorded hat tricks, giving Navy three players with at least three goals in the contest. Billy Zech scored twice, while Kiefer Black, James Mulvey and Maximus Arnold each added one goal as seven different Midshipmen found the back of the net.
Quinn Bartlett’s performance continued an outstanding stretch for the junior. He recently earned MAWPC Offensive Player of the Week honors after helping Navy through a difficult West Coast stretch that included victories over Air Force, No. 17 Santa Clara and No. 11 Loyola Marymount. Bartlett had entered the Bucknell weekend as Navy’s leading goal scorer with 28 goals, and his production against the Bison further demonstrated how important he has become to Navy’s offense.
Navy Builds First-Half Advantage
Day put Navy on the scoreboard first by converting a five-meter opportunity, although Bucknell quickly answered to tie the game. Quinn Bartlett restored the Midshipmen’s advantage before the end of the opening period, giving Navy a 2-1 lead after eight minutes. The low-scoring first quarter provided an early indication that Bucknell was prepared to challenge the nationally ranked Midshipmen.
Bartlett then struck twice early in the second quarter as Navy stretched its advantage to 4-1. Bucknell responded with two penalty-shot goals to pull within 4-3, but the Midshipmen did not surrender the lead. Black and Mulvey answered for Navy before halftime, sending the Midshipmen into the break with a 6-3 advantage.
Bucknell Makes Its Push
Navy appeared ready to take control early in the third quarter when Day and Declan Bartlett scored to extend the lead to 8-3. Bucknell refused to go away, however, scoring twice to cut the deficit back to three. Quinn Bartlett answered to make it 9-5, and Day converted another five-meter opportunity after another Bison goal to put Navy ahead 10-6.
The Bison then made their strongest push of the afternoon, scoring twice to close within 10-8 late in the third period. Jovan Udovicic’s second goal of the quarter made it a two-goal game with only 11 seconds remaining, giving Bucknell a chance to enter the fourth quarter with momentum. Navy instead raced back down the pool, and Bartlett scored with one second remaining to restore a three-goal advantage at 11-8.
That goal proved to be the turning point. Bucknell had spent much of the third quarter fighting its way back into the contest, only for Navy to immediately erase some of that momentum. The Midshipmen carried that energy into the final period and completely took control of the game.
Navy Slams the Door in Fourth Quarter
Navy’s defense did not allow another goal. The Midshipmen outscored Bucknell 4-0 during the fourth quarter, turning an 11-8 contest into a convincing 15-8 victory. Bartlett scored twice during the final period, while Zech and Arnold also found the net as Navy finished the afternoon with five consecutive goals dating back to Bartlett’s final-second score in the third.
Junior goalkeeper Ryan Munch played another important role in the victory, finishing with nine saves and holding Bucknell to single digits. Munch entered the weekend as Navy’s leading goalkeeper with 78 saves and had recently earned MAWPC Defensive Player of the Week honors. Navy’s fourth-quarter performance was particularly impressive because Bucknell generated opportunities but could not solve Munch and the Midshipmen defense.
Bucknell entered the matchup playing some of its best water polo of the season. The Bison had won six consecutive games before facing Navy and had already produced several impressive offensive performances, including a 27-goal showing against Mount St. Mary’s. Holding that offense scoreless over the final quarter made Navy’s defensive finish even more significant.
Midshipmen Continue Strong 2026 Start
The victory pushed Navy to 12-2, with the Midshipmen’s résumé already featuring several notable results. Navy defeated rival Air Force 14-13 to retain the Freedom Vase before beating No. 17 Santa Clara 13-10 and No. 11 Loyola Marymount 19-18 in overtime during its trip west. One of Navy’s two losses came by only one goal, 11-10, against No. 8 UC Irvine.
The Bucknell victory was different from some of those dramatic games because Navy demonstrated its ability to close out a dangerous opponent rather than needing a comeback. Bucknell got within two goals late in the third quarter, but the Midshipmen responded by scoring five unanswered goals. That ability to absorb an opponent’s run and answer decisively could become particularly valuable as Navy moves toward the most important portion of its conference schedule.
What’s Next
Navy will remain on the road for two more MAWPC games this weekend. The Midshipmen travel to the Bronx to face No. 5 Fordham on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 3 p.m. before heading to Staten Island to play Wagner on Sunday, Oct. 11 at 10 a.m. The Fordham matchup should provide another significant test for a Navy team that continues to build an impressive national résumé.
Navy will eventually get another opportunity against Bucknell when the Bison visit Lejeune Hall on Nov. 1. Before then, the Midshipmen have road contests against Fordham, Wagner, Harvard and Brown along with a neutral-site matchup against LIU. Navy’s performance through the first 14 games has put the Midshipmen in an excellent position, but plenty of important water polo remains ahead.
MSB Take
Navy looks like a legitimate contender, and the final nine minutes against Bucknell showed exactly why. When the Bison cut the lead to 10-8 and appeared ready to turn the game into a fourth-quarter battle, Navy responded immediately and never allowed another goal. The Midshipmen received scoring from throughout the lineup, another strong performance from Munch and a huge game from Quinn Bartlett.
A 12-2 record is impressive by itself, but the quality of Navy’s victories makes the start even more encouraging. The Midshipmen have beaten ranked opponents, won close games, dominated overmatched teams and now gone on the road to end a conference opponent’s six-game winning streak. Fordham represents another major challenge, but Navy is playing like a team capable of making serious noise in the MAWPC and nationally this season.
