Nikiforos Liantziris vs. Fresno Pacific
15
Fresno Pacific FPU (4-19)
17
Winner Gannon GAN (16-5)
Fresno Pacific FPU
(4-19)
15
Final
17
Gannon GAN
(16-5)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Fresno Pacific FPU 3 3 4 5 15
Gannon GAN 4 3 5 5 17

Game Recap: Men's Water Polo | | Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Liantziris Scores Seven Goals as Golden Knights Advance to WWPA Semifinals with 17-15 Win over Fresno Pacific

IRVINE, Calif. – The Gannon men's water polo team rode a seven-goal effort by Nikiforos Lianztiris to a spot on the semifinals of the WWPA Championships on Friday afternoon. The Golden Knights, the number two seed from the East, moved on with a 17-15 quarterfinal win over 3W Fresno Pacific. Concordia is hosting the league championships at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center.

The back-and-forth affair featured nine ties. The victory boosted head coach Zarko Sadikovic's Golden Knights to 16-5 on the season while Fresno Pacific is now 4-19. Gannon now faces Concordia, the top seed in the West, in the semifinals at 2:00 p.m.
Gannon held a slim 4-3 lead after one quarter as Liantziris and Alexandros Kotskar (Voula, Greece/Athinaiki Agogh) each scored twice. Fresno Pacific opened the second quarter with a pair of goals to take the lead for the first time at 4-3.

Trailing 6-5, Liantziris tied the match at 6-6 on a penalty shot at 1:50 for his fourth goal. He added his fifth goal with 27 seconds left to send Gannon into the half ahead 7-6.

Gannon's lead grew to 9-6 in the third quarter on goals by Victor Volant (Fuveau, France) and Liantziris. The Sunbirds came back to tie the match at 10-10 before goals by Liantziris and Ben Fribourg (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) gave the Golden Knights a 12-10 advantage after three quarters.

Volant powered the Golden Knights in the fourth quarter with a pair of goals. The freshman from France scored twice in the final period, with his goal with a second remaining icing the contest.

Liantziris finished with seven goals while Kotskar had four goals and two assists. Volant added three goals and three assists.

Gannon Goals: Nikiforos Liantziris (Athens, Greece) (7G-0A); Alexandros Kotskar (Voula, Greece/Athinaiki Agogh) (4G-2A); Victor Volant (Fuveau, France) (3G-3A); Ben Fribourg (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) (2G-2A); Dillon Shaw (Salt Lake City, Utah/Skyline) (1G-1A);  Mathieu Bordet (Marseille, France) (0G-2A); Michael McGarry (Erie, Pa./McDowell) (0G-1A); Alvaro Marco (Madrid, Spain/IES Ortega y Gasset) (0G-1A).

Goalie Saves: Alvaro Marco (Madrid, Spain/IES Ortega y Gasset) (32 min-15 GA-9 svs.)
 
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