Scoreboard

Gannon men's water polo notched its second straight CWPA DII Championship over the weekend

Men's Water Polo 10/14/2018 1:30:00 PM Josh Hill, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Gannon Men’s Water Polo Captures 2018 CWPA DII Championship; Defeats Mercyhurst Sunday

THE RUNDOWN – Gannon vs. Mercyhurst

Final Score: Gannon 11, Mercyhurst 6
Records: Gannon (16-0) | Mercyhurst (11-7)
Location: McKendree Metro Rec Plex - Lebanon, Ill. (2018 CWPA Division II Championships)
The Short Story: Prior to even taking to the water for its matchup with Mercyhurst, Gannon sewed up the 2018 Division II Eastern Championship for the second straight season with a pair of victories yesterday. The Golden Knights held head-to-head wins over Salem and McKendree to guarantee the championship prior to today's result with Mercyhurst. Gannon capped its weekend in the 2018 CWPA DII Championships with an 11-6 victory over the Lakers to remain undefeated at 16-0 on the season.

GAMEDAY MEDIA CENTER

HEAD COACH SEAN MORPHY POSTGAME REACTION:

"It was a great team effort. A lot of contributors from our seniors down to our freshman. We needed everyone to step up this weekend and they all did."

HOW IT HAPPENED

Gannon and Mercyhurst traded goals to start the game resulting in a 1-1 tie at the end of the first quarter.
A second quarter powerplay tally for Thomas Squeglia (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) was set up off an assist from Robert Bolmanski (Erie, Pa./McDowell) as Gannon took a 2-1 lead.
The Golden Knights outscored Mercyhurst 3-1 in the second quarter to expand its lead to 4-2 at the half.
Mercyhurst opened the second half with two of the first three goals, but Gannon countered with three of the last four goals to end the third quarter. David Gallion (Arlington, Va./Homeschool), Jake Rehrer (Chino Hills, Calif./Chino Hills) and John Vieira (Erie, Pa/Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy (McDowell)) all scored for the Golden Knights.
Gannon picked up right where it left off, scoring the first three goals of the final quarter to take an 11-5 lead.
Mercyhurst scored a late tally to bring the final score to 11-6.

GAME NOTES

Thomas Squeglia (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) notched three goals for the Golden Knights while Bolmanksi handed out four assists.
Gannon held a 31-26 edge in overall shots.
Brett Rehrer (Chino Hills, Calif./Chino Hills) made 10 saves in goal for Gannon.
Riley Hinkley (Meshoppen, Pa./Princeton) scored a goal and added three steals.
The Golden Knights capped the tournament by holding its last two opponents (McKendree and Mercyhurst) to just six goals each.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

Gannon won its second consecutive CWPA DII Championship after capturing the crown last season at home.
The title is the third overall in program history for the Golden Knights.
In addition to Gannon winning the Division II Eastern title, Queens College, Salem, Slippery Rock and Mercyhurst have all won the championship as well.
Gannon joins Mercyhurst and Queens College as the only programs to win the championship crown multiple times.
Gannon has scored 10 or more goals in nine consecutive matches.
The men's water polo team isn't the only Gannon athletic squad facing Mercyhurst today, with the men's and women's soccer programs also battling the Lakers in conference action this afternoon.

UP NEXT

Gannon returns to the water next weekend to face some familiar foes. The Golden Knights will take on Salem and Mercyhurst on Saturday, October 27 at 1:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., respectively.
Gannon will then take on Connecticut College, the host of the MAWPC Weekend tournament, on Sunday, October 28 at 10:30 a.m.

Players Mentioned

#1 Brett Rehrer: Senior; Supply Chain Management/Sports Management and Marketing