Breelyn Craig, McKendree Sports Information

Men's Water Polo 11/18/2021 12:33:00 PM Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Golden Knights Face Navy in Third Appearance in Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Championship

No. 7 GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (13-8) at No. 2 NAVY MIDSHIPMEN (14-12)

2021 MID-ATLANTIC WATER POLO CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
DATE/TIME: Friday, November 19, 2021 | 6:00 p.m.
POOL/LOCATION: Lejeune Hall l Annapolis, Md.

WATCH LIVE ($)
CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL

TICKET INFORMATION
Adults - $25 (All-Tournament Pass); $10 (One-Day Pass)
Students (w/ID)/Senior Citizens - $10 (Tournament Pass)
Children (ages 12 and under) – Free

MID-ATLANTIC WATER POLO CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
Friday, November 19
Game 1 – No. 1 Fordham (23-6) vs. No. 8 Mount St. Mary's (7-21) – 3:00 p.m.
Game 2 – No. Bucknell (11-11) vs. No. 5 Wagner (16-15) – 4:30 p.m.
Game 3 -- No. 7 GANNON (13-8) at No. 2 Navy (14-12) – 6:00 p.m.
Game 4 -- No. 3 George Washington (10-13) vs. No. 6 Johns Hopkins (6-19) – 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 20
Game 5 – Loser Game 2 vs. Loser Game 1 – 1:30 p.m.
Game 6 – Loser Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3 – 3:00 p.m.
Game 7 – Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 – 4:30 p.m.
Game 8 – Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4 – 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 21
Game 9 – Loser Game 6 vs. Loser Game 5 (Seventh Place Game) – 9:00 a.m.
Game 10 – Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6 (Fifth Place Game) – 10:30 a.m.
Game 11 – Loser game 8 vs. Loser Game 7 (Third Place Game) – 12:00 p.m.
Game 12 – Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8 (Championship Game) – 1:30 p.m.

GANNON IN THE MID-ATLANTIC WATER POLO CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
The Golden Knights are making their third appearance in the MAWP Conference Championship. This marks the fifth postseason tournament, with the 2020 championships canceled. Gannon qualified in 2017 and again in 2019, finishing seventh both times.

ERIE, Pa. – Eight teams will converge on the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. this weekend competing for the 2021 Mid-Atlantic water Polo Conference Championship. Gannon earned its ticket to the tournament thanks to a 15-13 win over McKendree in the Mid-Atlantic Western Region Championship two weeks ago. The winner of the three-day tournament advances to the NCAA Championship. All 12 games will take place at Lejeune Hall.

Gannon is seeded seventh and will play Navy, the second seed, on Friday, November 19 at 6:00 p.m.. The Golden Knights are in Bracket B, which includes George Washington (3^rd seed) and Johns Hopkins (6^th seed). Bracket A features top-seeded Fordham, along with fourth-seed Bucknell, fifth-seed Wagner, and Mount St. Mary's, seeded eighth.

Head coach Shane Unger and his squad are looking forward to a challenging weekend of water polo. "I know the guys are fired up for the weekend," related Unger. "They have put solid work in to reach their goal and qualify for this tournament. They are very excited and motivated to show up at Navy this weekend and compete at a high level."

Gannon heads into the MAWPC Championship on a roll. The Golden Knights have run off six straight wins to improve to 13-8 overall. Included in that run is titles in the CWPA Division II Championship and the Mid-Atlantic West Region Championship. The Golden Knights defeated Salem, 14-9, to win the former, along with the win over McKendree.

Navy owns a 14-12 record. The Midshipmen are ranked 20^th in the latest Men's Varsity Top 20. Fordham is ranked 18^th while Bucknell is receiving votes. Johns Hopkins is ranked fifth in the Division III poll.

Gannon features a veteran squad led by a host of seniors. Robert Bolmanski (Fairview, Pa./McDowell) was named the MAWPC West Region Most Valuable Player earlier this week. He was previously named the MVP of the CWPA Division II Championship. He has scored 29 goals while being the facilitator of the offense. He is now a two-time all-conference selection.

Bolmanski was joined on the first team by Drago Marjanovic (Belgrade, Serbia/North Allegheny (Pa.)) and goalie Jacob Hollo (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny). Tony Squeglia (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) and Vlad Mickic (Subotica, Serbia /Nikola Tesla) were accorded second team honors.

Marjanovic, the MVP of the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo West Region Championship, is Gannon's leading scorer with 49 goals and is also a two-time first team selection after previously earning the honor in 2019. Like Bolmanski, he is a senior. Marjanovic was a second team All-MAWP Tournament selection in 2019.

Hollo is now a three-time West Region All-Conference pick. The junior typically shares time in goal with freshman Alvaro Marco (Madrid, Spain/IES Ortega y Gasset). Hollo was in goal for the CWPA Division II Championship win over Salem.

Squeglia, a redshirt senior, is second on the team in goals with 33. He was a first team all-conference honoree in the spring, as was Mickic. The junior has 24 goals so far this season.

Other dependable goal scorers for Gannon include Dylan Schmitzerle (Richmond, Va.) (26 goals), Ethan Hamp (Chicago, Ill./Von Steuben) (20), Tim Baer (Oceanside, Calif./Classical Academy) (14), David Gallion (Arlington, Va./Homeschool) (12), and Marty Kaverman Jr. (Erie, Pa./McDowell) and Fribourg (10 apiece).

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Players Mentioned

#11 Tim Baer: Redshirt Senior; Nursing

#8 Robert Bolmanski: Senior; Biology

#6 David Gallion: Senior; Mechanical Engineering

#12 Ethan Hamp: Redshirt Senior; Criminal Justice

#1 Jacob Hollo: 6' 1"; Junior

#2 Marty Kaverman Jr.: 5' 11"; Junior

#18 Drago Marjanovic: 5' 11"; Senior; Business

#3 Dylan Schmitzerle: 6' 0"; Sophomore

#9 Tony Squeglia: Redshirt Senior; Criminal Justice

#1 Alvaro Marco: Freshman

Players Mentioned

#11 Tim Baer
: Redshirt Senior; Nursing

#8 Robert Bolmanski
: Senior; Biology

#6 David Gallion
: Senior; Mechanical Engineering

#12 Ethan Hamp
: Redshirt Senior; Criminal Justice

#1 Jacob Hollo
: 6' 1"; Junior

#2 Marty Kaverman Jr.
: 5' 11"; Junior

#18 Drago Marjanovic
: 5' 11"; Senior; Business

#3 Dylan Schmitzerle
: 6' 0"; Sophomore

#9 Tony Squeglia
: Redshirt Senior; Criminal Justice

#1 Alvaro Marco
: Freshman

Gannon University Athletics

Scoreboard

Golden Knights Face Navy in Third Appearance in Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Championship

Players Mentioned

#11 Tim Baer

#8 Robert Bolmanski

#6 David Gallion

#12 Ethan Hamp

#1 Jacob Hollo

#2 Marty Kaverman Jr.

#18 Drago Marjanovic

#3 Dylan Schmitzerle

#9 Tony Squeglia

#1 Alvaro Marco

Players Mentioned

#11 Tim Baer

#8 Robert Bolmanski

#6 David Gallion

#12 Ethan Hamp

#1 Jacob Hollo

#2 Marty Kaverman Jr.

#18 Drago Marjanovic

#3 Dylan Schmitzerle

#9 Tony Squeglia

#1 Alvaro Marco