Water Polo Wins Beast of the East Title

Brunswick drove more than 160 miles to Reading, Pennsylvania, to take part in the 2018 Beast of the East Tournament this past weekend. In the end, the Bruins took home the title by overcoming a four-goal deficit to beat their cross-town rivals, Greenwich High School, 10-9, in the championship match on Saturday night.

 

Four Bruins earned all-tournament first team: Nico Apostolides (14 goals), Jake Charney (2 goals), Keegan Drew (10 goals), and Kyle Yelensky (15 goals). Two more earned second team accolades: goalie Hayden Collins (32 saves) and Gavin Moore (7 goals).

 

The Bruins, with an overall record of 13-1, went 5-0 in the tournament. To reach the title round, Brunswick won a pair of matches on Friday and won the quarterfinal and semifinal contests earlier in the day on Saturday.

 

This was the second time the Bruins took part in the tourney, the largest high school water polo event outside of California. In 2017, Brunswick went 4-1, falling in the title match to local Pennsylvania power Wilson High School.

 

In the title tilt, Brunswick missed a few scoring chances early and trailed by a 2-0 margin after one quarter against the Cardinals. Greenwich made it a 3-0 game with an early goal in the second quarter.

 

Later in the frame, Kyle Yelensky scored on a man-up tally for the Bruins to make it a two-goal game. The teams exchanged solo markers before the Cardinals closed out the half with a pair of tallies to take a 6-2 lead at intermission.

 

Brunswick mounted a comeback to start the third quarter with two goals, as JP Ohl assisted on a Gavin Malloy goal on a man-up situation to make it a 6-3 game. Malloy followed by setting up Yelensky’s second goal of the contest, narrowing the deficit to 6-4.

 

A determined Greenwich squad countered the Bruins’ scoring burst with a goal to bump the Cardinal lead to 7-4. However, Yelensky netted two more goals in the third stanza to trim the gap to 7-6. 

 

In the fourth quarter, Brunswick netted the game-tying goal, as Malloy fed Yelensky for his fifth tally of the game.

 

In the 7-7 game, Jake Charney sent a pass to Yelensky for his sixth goal, as the Bruins took their first lead of the championship contest. Another assist from Charney to Nico Apostolides gave Brunswick a 9-7 edge.

 

The Cardinals would not disappear down the stretch, as the cross-town rivals pumped in a pair of goals to tie the game at nine.

 

With the championship tied, Charney worked his way free for a tournament-winning shot from the center cage that gave the Bruins a 10-9 lead and the title of Beasts of the East.

 

Brunswick goalie Hayden Collins led a stellar defense in the second half, as the keeper made seven of his 10 saves during the Bruins’ comeback.

 

Championship:

Bruins 0 2 4 4 - 10

GHS   3 3 1 2 - 9

 

Goals:

Yelensky (6), Apostolides (1), Charney (1), Molloy (1), Drew (1)

Saves:

Collins (10)

 

The Bruins advanced to the championship round after knocking off North Penn in the semifinals, 13-8.

 

Bruins   4 2 4 3 - 13

N. Penn 1 0 1 6 - 8

 

Goals: 

Yelensky (3), Drew (3), Moore (2), Apostolides (1), Saunders (1), Pierce (1), Charney (1), Molloy (1), Ohl (1)

Collins (4)

 

In the quarterfinal round on Saturday, the Bruins beat Cumberland Valley, 15-5, to advance to the semifinals.

 

Bruins 5 4 5 1 - 15

C.V.    1 1 3 0 -  5

 

Goals:

Apostolides (5), Saunders (3), Yelensky (2), Molloy (2), Pierce (1), Ohl (1), Moore (1)

 Saves:

Collins (7)

 

On Friday, the Bruins went 2-0 to advance in the tournament on Saturday. In the opening round, Brunswick topped Wissahickon (13-4), as 11 Bruins scored, following up that victory with a 19-6 win over Haverford to earn a top spot in the tournament round on Saturday.

 

Brunswick     9 3 1 0 - 13

Wissahickon 1 2 1 0 -  4

Goals:

Apostolides (2), Taylor (2), O'Malley (1), Saunders (1), Pierce (1), Yelensky (1), Molloy (1), Ohl (1), Drew (1), Robinson (1), Prout (1).

Saves:

Collins (6)

 

Brunswick  5 3 7 4 - 19

Haverford   4 2 0 0 -  6

 

Goals:

Apostolides (5), Drew (5), Yelensky (3), Molloy (2), Saunders (1), Pierce (1), Ohl (1), T Robinson (1)

Saves:

Collins (5)