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Breelyn Craig, McKendree Sports Information

Men's Water Polo 11/19/2021 8:49:00 PM Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Golden Knights Come Up Short in Upset Bid of Navy

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Gannon University men's water polo team opened play in the 2021 Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Championship with a 20-13 loss to second-seeded Navy on Friday night. The game took place at Lejeune Hall at the U.S. Naval Academy.

Seeded seventh after winning the Mid-Atlantic Western Region Championship two weeks ago, Gannon saw its six-game winning streak come to an end. The Golden Knights are now 13-9 while the Midshipmen improved to 15-12. Navy came in ranked 20^th in the latest Men's Varsity Top 20.

Gannon is making its 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.

The Golden Knights got off to a promising start, as Drago Marjanovic (Belgrade, Serbia/North Allegheny (Pa.)) scored the initial goal of the game just 47 seconds into the game. It was the team-leading 50^th goal of the season, but it would ne his only goal of the night as the Navy defense put the shackles on Marjanovic and Robert Bolmanski (Fairview, Pa./McDowell). Bolmanski was named the MAWPC West Region Most Valuable Player earlier in the week, but he was held without a goal.

The game was tied three times in the first quarter, the last at 3-3 with 4:08 remaining on the first of two goals by Dylan Schmitzerle (Richmond, Va.). The Midshipmen scored the next three goals to take the lead for good, with Tony Squeglia's (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) goal with 1:06 left in the period making it 6-4.

Navy took control in the second quarter. After Vlad Mickic (Subotica, Serbia /Nikola Tesla) scored to make it 7-5 early in the period, Navy scored six of the next eight goals to take a 13-7 advantage at halftime. Ethan Hamp (Chicago, Ill./Von Steuben) and Schmitzerle accounted for the GU goals.

The run continued in the third quarter, as the Midshipmen scored four of the first five goals in the period to go ahead 17-8 with 1:49 showing. Goals by Mickic and Ben Fribourg (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) closed the deficit to 17-10 after the third.

Seth Johnson (Sugar Hill, Ga./Lanier) made it three straight goals for the Golden Knights with the first score of the final period, but Navy answered with back-to-back goals. Marty Kaverman Jr. (Erie, Pa./McDowell) accounted for Gannon's final two goals.

Mickic led Gannon with three goals, while Kaverman, Squeglia and Schmitzerle each scored twice. Johnson, Hamp, Fribourg and Marjanovic found the back of the net once. Freshman Alvaro Marco (Madrid, Spain/IES Ortega y Gasset) was in goal for Gannon and finished with 13 saves.

Navy had ten different players score, led by Isaac Salinas, Michael Heller, and Nathan Duchez with three goals apiece. Max Sandberg had nine saves in goal.

Gannon returns to the pool at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, facing sixth-seed Johns Hopkins. The Blue Jays lost to No. 3 George Washington, 12-6, in their opening round game. Saturday's winner will play in the fifth place game on Sunday at 10:30 a.m., while the loser plays for seventh place at 9:00 a.m.

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Players Mentioned

#8 Robert Bolmanski: Senior; Biology

#12 Ethan Hamp: Redshirt Senior; Criminal Justice

#7 Seth Johnson: 6' 3"; 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

#4 Ben Fribourg: Freshman

#13 Vladimir Mickic: Junior

Players Mentioned

#8 Robert Bolmanski
: Senior; Biology

#12 Ethan Hamp
: Redshirt Senior; Criminal Justice

#7 Seth Johnson
: 6' 3"; 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

#4 Ben Fribourg
: Freshman

#13 Vladimir Mickic
: Junior