THE RUNDOWN
Final Score: Gannon 26, Mount St. Mary's 5
Records: Gannon (1-0)  |  MSM (0-1)
Location: Aquatics Center at Mylan Park  |  Morgantown, W. Va.
The Short Story: The uncertainty and delay in the leadup to its 2020 season didn't seem to affect the Gannon men's water polo team when it finally hit the pool, as the Golden Knights sprinted out to a quick four-goal lead on the way to a season-opening 26-5 victory over Mount St. Mary's Saturday.
 
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• Box Score: Click Here
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• MAWPC Standings: Click Here

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Gannon wasted no time getting its offense into action, with Seth Johnson (Sugar Hill, Ga./Lanier) scoring 34 seconds into the game, and goals coming from Ethan Hamp (Chicago, Ill./Von Steuben) and Robert Bolmanski (Erie, Pa./McDowell) within the first two minutes. A score from Dylan Schmitzerle (Plymouth, Mich.) made it 4-0 midway through the opening quarter.
• After the Mount got on the board, Anthony Squeglia (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) netted a penalty shot goal, and two more finishes from Schmitzerle and Johnson bumped the Golden Knight lead to 7-1 after eight minutes.
• Gannon blew the game wide open in the second period, with Vladimir Mickic (Subotica, Serbia/Nikola Tesla) scoring four times to bolster a run of eight straight goals that gave the Knights a 13-goal margin at 15-2 heading into intermission. They turned it into a 13-0 run with the first five goals of the third, with Johnson and Bolmanski each netting a pair during that span.
• The Golden Knights allowed just one shot on goal to Mount St. Mary's in the third as they built an insurmountable lead, and two more goals out of Schmitzerle in the fourth put the game away.

 
GAME NOTES

• The incredible offensive performance set a new program record, as Gannon's 26 goals broke the previous mark of 25 that had stood for 11 years. That came during a win over Penn State Behrend during the 2009 season. The 21-goal margin of victory also broke the previous record of 18, set in 2003 against Behrend and 2001 against Mercyhurst.
• Johnson paced the offense for the Golden Knights, setting a new career-high with his five goals.
• Three others tallied four goals, with Schmitzerle and Mickic doing so in their Gannon debuts. Bolmanski hit the mark as well.
• Jacob Hollo (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) and Nate Winkler (Southlake, Texas/Carroll) split time in goal for the Knights, with Hollo making five saves and Winkler adding three.
• The Mount is in its first season of competition after adding men's and women's water polo to its offerings in 2020.
• Gannon also faced off in an exhibition against host Salem earlier in the day. The offense was clicking in that one too, as the Knights grabbed a 21-11 win.

 
UP NEXT

• Gannon begins MAWPC-West play in two weeks, making the trip to Mount St. Mary's for a pair of games on Feb. 6. The Knights will face the Mount at 10 a.m., followed by Mercyhurst at 1 p.m.
• The Lakers are the most played opponent in Gannon's history. The Golden Knights hold a 31-26 lead in the all-time series, and have won 11 straight dating back to 2016.