Writer's Note: Statistics were not provided for Gannon's Saturday matchup against McKendree. The Golden Knights' comeback attempt fell just short as Gannon dropped to 0-2 in Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) action and 7-9 overall entering Sunday's contest against Mercyhurst.
BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – Behind five-goal performances from
Petar Markovic (Belgrade, Serbia/Sports High School of Belgrade) and
Nikiforos Liantziris (Athens, Greece/1o EPAL Zografou), the Gannon men's water polo team closed out the WWPA West Virginia Showdown with a 21-18 victory over Erie rival Mercyhurst on Sunday morning at The Bridge Sports Complex. The Golden Knights jumped out to an early lead and held off the Lakers in a high-scoring contest to secure their first conference victory of the season.
Gannon improved to 8-9 overall and 1-2 in WWPA action after outscoring Mercyhurst in three of the four quarters. Liantziris finished with a game-high nine points on five goals and four assists, while Markovic added five goals and an assist.
Dominic Demeritte (Nassau, Bahamas/Blake Academy) contributed a hat trick as the Golden Knights defeated the Lakers for the second time this season.
THE GAME FACTS
Score: Gannon 21, Mercyhurst 18
Records: Gannon (8-9, 1-2 WWPA)
Location: The Bridge Sports Complex – Bridgeport, W.Va.
Date: Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026
THE KNIGHT CAP
- Fast Start: Gannon wasted little time taking control, scoring the first three goals of the contest in the opening 57 seconds behind Liantziris, Victor Volant (Fuveau, France/Font d'Aurumy) and Markovic. The Golden Knights carried a 6-4 advantage into the second quarter.
- Halftime Advantage: The Golden Knights maintained their two-goal lead through the second period, with both teams scoring four goals in the quarter to enter halftime ahead 10-8. Markovic completed his first-half hat trick, while Rajmund Farsang (Eger, Hungary/Neumann Janos Gimnazium) added two goals before the break.
- Third-Quarter Battle: Gannon opened the second half with goals from Nick Thompson (Hudsonville, Mich./Hudsonville) and Markovic to extend its advantage to 12-8. The Golden Knights later built a 15-10 lead before Mercyhurst answered with three consecutive goals to cut the deficit to 15-13 entering the final quarter.
- Fourth-Quarter Finish: After Mercyhurst trimmed the lead to 15-14, Gannon responded with three straight goals from Liantziris, Markovic and Volant to restore an 18-14 advantage. The Lakers continued to battle, but goals from Demeritte and Liantziris helped the Golden Knights maintain their lead before Demeritte scored with one second remaining to seal the 21-18 victory.
- Liantziris Leads the Way: Liantziris recorded five goals and four assists for a game-high nine points. He scored twice in the third quarter and twice more in the fourth while also winning both of his sprint opportunities.
- Markovic's Five-Goal Outing: Markovic matched Liantziris with five goals, adding one assist for six points. He scored in all four quarters, including two goals in the opening period.
- Balanced Scoring: Nine Golden Knights found the back of the net. Demeritte finished with three goals, while Farsang, Volant and Thompson added two apiece. Giacomo Peretti (Verona, Italy/Liceo G. Fracastoro) and Nikita Rudoi (Sabadel, Spain/Jaume Viladoms) each contributed one goal.
- Offensive Production: Gannon finished with 21 goals on 40 shots while distributing 12 assists. The Golden Knights also recorded seven steals and outscored the Lakers 6-5 in the final quarter.
- Goalkeeping Effort: Hewson Morphy (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) and Djordje Stefanovic (Belgrade, Serbia/Gimnazija Patrijarh Pavle) split time in goal, each playing 16 minutes. Stefanovic recorded four saves, while Morphy added one as the Golden Knights combined for five stops.
- Another Win Over the Lakers: Gannon picked up its second victory over Mercyhurst this season after previously defeating the Lakers 23-16 on Sept. 25 at the Laker Invitational in Erie. The two teams will meet again on Nov. 7 when the Golden Knights host the Lakers for the WWPA Erie Classic / Senior Day at Hallman Aquatics Center.
Up Next
Gannon returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 31, when the Golden Knights face Penn State Behrend The contest is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.
This story was written using the support of AI.
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