THE GAME FACTS (Game One)
Final Score: No. 18 Harvard 16, Gannon 10
Records: Gannon 0-3, Harvard 2-1
Date: August 31, 2025
Location: Blodgett Pool, Cambridge, Mass.
THE GAME FACTS (Game Two)
Final Score: Gannon 18, No. 7 D3 MIT 11,
Records: Gannon 1-3, MIT 1-3
Date: August 31, 2025
Location: Blodgett Pool, Cambridge, Mass.
Day two of the Bruno Classic saw the Gannon men's water polo team square off with a pair of nationally ranked opponents in Cambridge, Mass. After dropping a 16–10 decision to No. 18 Harvard on Sunday morning, head coach
Zarko Sadikovic's squad bounced back in the afternoon with an
18–11 victory over MIT, ranked seventh in the Division III poll.
The Golden Knights leave their opening weekend at
1–3 overall, following setbacks to No. 17 Brown, Iona and Harvard before securing their first win of the season against the Engineers.
THE KNIGHT CAP
No. 18 Harvard 16, Gannon 10: The Golden Knights faced their second-ranked Division I outfit playing at Harvard.
The Crimson jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first quarter before
Dillon Shaw (Salt Lake City, Utah/Skyline) got Gannon on the board with three minutes left in the first quarter. The period ended with Harvard leading 5-1. When
Nikiforos Liantziris (Athens, Greece/) scored at the 4:51 mark the Golden Knights were within 6-4 but Harvard built the lead back up to 10-5 at the half.
Gannon was unable to pull closer than the five-goal margin at the half over the final 16 minutes.
BY THE NUMBERS:
Gannon actually outshot Harvard 38-31 but the Crimson converted 52 percent of their shots while Gannon came in at 26 percent. The Golden Knights were 0-for-5 on the power play.
Nikiforos Liantziris (Athens, Greece/) led Gannon with three goals and an assist with
Petar Markovic (Belgrade, Serbia/) adding a pair of goals.
Gannon 18, No. 7 D3 MIT 11: The Golden Knights earned their first win of the 2025 campaign by seizing control late in the first half and breaking the game open in the third quarter. After MIT closed to within 8–7, the Golden Knights responded with a goal from
Victor Volant (Fuveau, France/) just before halftime, then erupted for six goals in the third period.
Petar Markovic (Belgrade, Serbia/) and
Alexandros Kotskar (Voula, Greece/Athinaiki Agogh) fueled the surge as Gannon turned a one-goal battle into a decisive 15–9 lead, cruising to an 18–11 victory.
THE KNIGHT CAP
- Offensive Firepower: Gannon scored seven goals in the first quarter and never trailed, racing to a 7–4 lead after eight minutes.
- Markovic Dominates: Petar Markovic (Belgrade, Serbia/) netted five goals and added two assists to finish with seven points.
- Supporting Cast: Alexandros Kotskar (Voula, Greece/Athinaiki Agogh) and Victor Volant (Fuveau, France/) each scored four, while Rajmund Farsang (Eger, Hungary/) and Nikiforos Liantziris (Athens, Greece/) chipped in two apiece.
- Third-Quarter Surge: The Golden Knights broke it open with six goals in the third to extend the lead to 15–9.
- Efficiency: Gannon shot .581 (18-for-31) and converted 3-of-4 power plays, compared to MIT's .355 and 3-for-9.
- Between the Pipes: Bator Mohacsi (Budapest, Hungary/) anchored the defense with seven saves to help secure the win.
UP NEXT
Gannon plays in the Washington & Jefferson Invitational on Saturday, September 5 and Sunday, September 6. The Golden Knights play the host Presidents on Saturday before facing Penn State Behrend and John Hopkins on Sunday.
