LEWISBURG, Pa. -- The Gannon men's water polo team bounced back from an early-morning defeat to 17th-ranked Princeton with 16-6 victory over Penn State Behrend Saturday afternoon at the 2009 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Southern Division Championship hosted by Bucknell University.

The two teams battled on even terms for the first eight minutes as each squad found the back of the net four times. Gannon then exploded for six unanswered goals in the second quarter and went to halftime with a 10-4 lead. The Golden Knights extended their lead to 13-4 with a 3-0 advantage in the third frame, before owning a slight 3-2 edge in the final stanza.

John Krakowski (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) led the offensive explosion with five goals. Greg Nelson (Homewood, Ill./Homewood-Flossmoor) was close behind with four tallies. Ben Syme (Victoria, B.C./Claremont Secondary) and Stephen Espinet (Port of Spain, Trinidad/Maple Leaf) netted two goals each.

Michael Piper (Houston, Texas/Clear Lake), Phil Myrick (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) and Kenny Milburn (Camp Hill, Pa./Cumberland Valley) completed the scoring with one goal each. Neal Zoellick (Homewood, Ill./Homewood-Flossmoor) recorded three saves between the pipes.

Gannon improved to 12-11 overall while Penn State Behrend dropped to 3-20. The Golden Knights continue Saturday play at the CWPA Southern Division Championship against Mercyhurst at 7 p.m.