ERIE, Pa. – Junior
Rajmund Farsang (Eger, Hungary/Neumann Janos Gimnazium) scored the game-winning goal with just one second remaining as the Gannon men's water polo team avenged an earlier loss to McKendree with a thrilling 14-13 victory on Sunday morning at Hallman Aquatics Center, securing the No. 2 seed in the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) Eastern Division.
Farsang finished with a season-high four goals and five assists for a career-high nine points, while junior goalkeeper
Bator Mohacsi (Budapest, Hungary/ELTE Apáczai Csere János Gyakorló Gimnázium és Kollégium) delivered a career-high 20 saves, tied for the 15th-most in a single game in program history.
The Golden Knights improved to 11-10 overall and concluded WWPA play at 2-2, capping off the three-day WWPA Erie Classic with a 2-1 record. Entering the weekend winless in conference play at 0-2, Gannon needed to sweep its two remaining WWPA matchups and have McKendree go 0-2 to secure the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Division.
Both scenarios played out as the Golden Knights earned back-to-back conference victories, while McKendree dropped both of its matchups, allowing Gannon to claim the second seed behind Salem, which earned the top spot.
The Golden Knights also avenged an 18-17 setback to McKendree on October 24 in Bridgeport, West Virginia, while the Bearcats dropped to 10-15 overall and 1-3 in conference action.
The contest featured a back-and-forth battle, with neither team leading by more than two goals. Gannon carried a 7-6 advantage into halftime before McKendree battled back to tie the game at 10-10 entering the final quarter.
The final eight minutes proved to be a nail-biter as the teams traded goals down the stretch.
Nikiforos Liantziris (Athens, Greece/1o EPAL Zografou) opened the fourth-quarter scoring to put Gannon ahead 11-10, but Tristan Grimett answered for McKendree to even the score. Farsang restored the Golden Knights' lead with 3:32 remaining before Armand Le Goff tied the game just 14 seconds later.
Farsang struck again on a penalty shot with 2:05 remaining to give Gannon a 13-12 advantage, but Joshua Gibson responded just 20 seconds later to knot the contest at 13-13. With the game seemingly headed for overtime, Farsang delivered the decisive goal with one second left to send the Golden Knights to a dramatic victory.
Liantziris and
Victor Volant (Fuveau, France/Font d'Aurumy) added three goals apiece for Gannon, while Mohacsi's career-high performance helped the Golden Knights withstand 39 shots from the Bearcats.
THE GAME FACTS
Score: Gannon 14, McKendree 13
Records: Gannon (11-10, 2-2 WWPA); McKendree (10-15, 1-3 WWPA)
Location: Hallman Aquatics Center – Erie, Pa.
Date: Sunday, November 8, 2026
THE KNIGHT CAP
- Farsang's Last-Second Heroics: Rajmund Farsang (Eger, Hungary/Neumann Janos Gimnazium) scored with one second remaining to lift Gannon to the 14-13 victory. The junior finished with a season-high four goals and five assists for a career-high nine points, five shy of Gannon's single-game program record of 14.
- Conference Turnaround: After entering the WWPA Erie Classic at 0-2 in conference play, Gannon earned back-to-back wins over WWPA opponents to finish 2-2 and secure the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Division. Salem earned the No. 1 seed, while the Golden Knights concluded the weekend with a 2-1 record.
- Avenging an Earlier Loss: The Golden Knights earned revenge after falling to McKendree 18-17 on October 24 in Bridgeport, West Virginia.
- Early Back-and-Forth Action: McKendree opened the scoring before Nick Thompson (Hudsonville, Mich./Hudsonville) and Giacomo Peretti (Verona, Italy/Liceo G. Fracastoro) answered with consecutive goals to give Gannon a 2-1 lead. The Bearcats responded with two goals to take a 3-2 advantage after the opening quarter.
- Second-Quarter Surge: McKendree extended its lead to 4-2 before Petar Markovic (Belgrade, Serbia/Sports High School of Belgrade) and Liantziris helped Gannon keep pace. Trailing 6-4, the Golden Knights closed the half with three unanswered goals, including two from Volant, to take a 7-6 advantage into the break.
- Third-Quarter Battle: Liantziris extended Gannon's lead to 8-6 just 23 seconds into the third quarter, but McKendree scored twice to tie the contest. Farsang and Volant added goals for the Golden Knights, while the Bearcats answered each time to send the teams into the fourth quarter tied 10-10.
- A Nail-Biting Finish: Liantziris put Gannon ahead 11-10 early in the fourth before the teams continued trading goals. Farsang scored three times in the final 3:32, including a penalty shot with 2:05 remaining and the game-winner with one second left.
- Balanced Offensive Attack: Liantziris and Volant each recorded hat tricks, with Volant adding an assist for four points. Markovic contributed two goals, while Thompson and Peretti finished with one apiece.
- Farsang Leads the Passing Attack: Farsang led Gannon with five assists as the Golden Knights recorded 12 helpers on their 14 goals. Volant, Thompson, Peretti, Mateja Zjacic (Belgrade, Serbia/High School of Electrical Engineering "Nikola Tesla"), Nathaniel Castellon (Eastvale, Cal./Eleanor Roosevelt), Michael McGarry (Erie, Pa./McDowell) and Mohacsi each added one assist.
- Career-High Saves for Mohacsi: Junior goalkeeper Bator Mohacsi (Budapest, Hungary/ELTE Apáczai Csere János Gyakorló Gimnázium és Kollégium) recorded a career-high 20 saves, tied for the 15th-most in a single game in program history, helping Gannon secure the thrilling 14-13 victory over McKendree.
- Defensive Effort: Gannon collected 16 steals, led by Liantziris with four and Farsang with three. Markovic and Zjacic each added two steals, while Dominic Demeritte (Nassau, Bahamas/Blake Academy), Peretti, McGarry, Thompson and Dillon Shaw (Salt Lake City, Utah/Skyline) recorded one apiece.
Up Next
Gannon now turns its attention to the 2026 WWPA Men's Water Polo Championship, scheduled for November 20-22 at Splash! La Mirada Regional Aquatics Center in La Mirada, California. The Golden Knights enter the tournament as the No. 2 seed from the Eastern Division.
This story was written using the support of AI.
