ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon men's water polo team used a seven-goal second quarter to overcome an early deficit and secure an 18-10 victory over Penn State Behrend on Saturday morning at the Junker Center.
After trailing 2-1 through the opening quarter, the Golden Knights erupted for seven goals in the second period to take an 8-5 halftime lead. Gannon continued to pull away in the second half, outscoring the Lions 10-5 over the final two quarters to improve to 9-9 overall.
Nikiforos Liantziris (Athens, Greece/1o EPAL Zografou) led Gannon with four goals and an assist, while
Rajmund Farsang (Eger, Hungary/Neumann Janos Gimnazium) recorded three goals and four assists for a game-high seven points.
Petar Markovic (Belgrade, Serbia/Sports High School of Belgrade) added three goals and an assist as nine different Golden Knights found the back of the net.
THE GAME FACTS
Score: Gannon 18, Penn State Behrend 10
Records: Gannon (9-9), Penn State Behrend (5-8)
Location: Junker Center – Erie, Pa.
Date: Saturday, October 31, 2026
THE KNIGHT CAP
- Second-Quarter Surge: After trailing 2-1 through the opening quarter, Gannon scored seven goals in the second period to take an 8-5 halftime advantage.
- Liantziris Leads the Way: Nikiforos Liantziris (Athens, Greece/1o EPAL Zografou) finished with four goals and an assist for five points, including three goals in the third quarter.
- Farsang's Big Morning: Rajmund Farsang (Eger, Hungary/Neumann Janos Gimnazium) recorded three goals and four assists for a game-high seven points, scoring all three goals during the second quarter.
- Markovic Adds Three: Petar Markovic (Belgrade, Serbia/Sports High School of Belgrade) contributed three goals and an assist for four points, including two goals in the second quarter.
- Balanced Offensive Attack: Ten different Golden Knights found the back of the net, led by Nikiforos Liantziris (Athens, Greece/1o EPAL Zografou) with four goals. Rajmund Farsang (Eger, Hungary/Neumann Janos Gimnazium) and Petar Markovic (Belgrade, Serbia/Sports High School of Belgrade) added three apiece, while Nathaniel Castellon (Eastvale, Cal./Eleanor Roosevelt) scored twice. Victor Volant (Fuveau, France/Font d'Aurumy), Nick Thompson (Hudsonville, Mich./Hudsonville), Dillon Shaw (Salt Lake City, Utah/Skyline), Michael McGarry (Erie, Pa./McDowell), Nikita Rudoi (Sabadel, Spain/Jaume Viladoms) and Daniel Martinez each contributed one goal.
- Strong Second Half: Gannon outscored Penn State Behrend 10-5 over the final two quarters and closed the contest with three unanswered goals.
- Defensive Effort: The Golden Knights recorded 26 steals, led by Victor Volant (Fuveau, France/Font d'Aurumy) with six and Farsang and Dominic Demeritte (Nassau, Bahamas/Blake Academy) with four apiece.
- Between the Pipes: Bator Mohacsi (Budapest, Hungary/ELTE Apáczai Csere János Gyakorló Gimnázium és Kollégium) recorded three saves, while Hewson Morphy (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) added four saves in 16 minutes of action apiece.
- Season Leaders: Entering the upcoming week of WWPA regular-season action, Nikiforos Liantziris (Athens, Greece/1o EPAL Zografou) leads Gannon with 63 goals and 41 assists for 104 points. Rajmund Farsang (Eger, Hungary/Neumann Janos Gimnazium) ranks second with 69 points (30 goals, 39 assists), followed by Victor Volant (Fuveau, France/Font d'Aurumy) with 61 points (34 goals, 27 assists).
- Defensive Leaders: Volant leads the Golden Knights with 32 steals, while Markovic has drawn a team-high 55 exclusions. Mohacsi leads Gannon's goalkeepers with 142 saves on the season.
Up Next
Gannon returns to action on Friday, November 6, when the Golden Knights host Salem in the opening game of the final WWPA regular-season tournament at Hallman Aquatics Center. The contest is scheduled for 7 p.m.
This story was written using the support of AI.
