PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Gannon men's water polo team split a pair of contests against NCAA Division I opponents on Sunday to close out the Bruno Classic, earning a thrilling 17-15 double-overtime victory over Iona before falling 16-7 to No. 20 Brown.
The Golden Knights rallied from a three-goal halftime deficit against Iona, scoring six times in the third quarter before eventually forcing overtime.
Nick Thompson (Hudsonville, Mich./Hudsonville) delivered the biggest moments of the morning, scoring with one second remaining in the first overtime period and adding another goal in the second overtime. Thompson finished with a team-high four goals, while
Nikiforos Liantziris (Athens, Greece/1o EPAL Zografou) totaled seven points on two goals and five assists.
In the afternoon matchup,
Petar Markovic (Belgrade, Serbia/Sports High School of Belgrade) accounted for four of Gannon's seven goals against No. 20 Brown, while Liantziris added two goals and two assists.
THE GAME FACTS
Game One
Score: Gannon 17, Iona 15 (2OT)
Location: Providence, R.I.
Date: August 30, 2026
Time: 10:20 a.m.
Game Two
Score: No. 20 Brown 16, Gannon 7
Location: Providence, R.I.
Date: August 30, 2026
Time: 2:45 p.m.
THE KNIGHT CAP
- Double-Overtime Thriller: Gannon and Iona were tied 13-13 at the end of regulation after Liantziris scored with 21 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to force overtime.
- Thompson Comes Up Big: Thompson scored a team-high four goals against Iona, including a goal with one second remaining in the first overtime period that gave Gannon a 15-14 advantage. He struck again in the second overtime to extend the lead to 16-14.
- Third-Quarter Rally: After trailing Iona 8-5 at halftime, the Golden Knights erupted for six goals in the third quarter. Markovic, Thompson, Liantziris, Dillon Shaw (Salt Lake City, Utah/Skyline) and Callum Snider-Mills (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) all found the back of the net, with Thompson scoring twice.
- Seven-Point Performance: Liantziris finished the Iona victory with two goals and five assists for seven points. Victor Volant (Fuveau, France/Font d'Aurumy) added six points behind three goals and three assists.
- Balanced Attack: Eight Golden Knights scored against Iona. Thompson led the way with four goals, Volant had three, while Liantziris, Rajmund Farsang (Eger, Hungary/Neumann Janos Gimnazium), Markovic and Snider-Mills scored twice apiece. Shaw and Mateja Zjacic (Belgrade, Serbia/High School of Electrical Engineering "Nikola Tesla") each added a goal.
- Mohacsi in Net: Bator Mohacsi (Budapest, Hungary/ELTE Apáczai Csere János Gyakorló Gimnázium és Kollégium) played all 38 minutes against Iona and finished with 15 saves.
- Markovic Leads Against Brown: Markovic scored four of Gannon's seven goals in the afternoon contest. He scored once in the first quarter, twice in the third and added his fourth with 20 seconds remaining in the game.
- Liantziris Adds Four Points: Liantziris contributed to four of Gannon's seven goals against Brown, finishing with two goals and two assists. Farsang accounted for the Golden Knights' other goal.
- Brown's Second-Quarter Surge: Gannon trailed just 3-2 following the opening quarter before Brown scored eight unanswered goals in the second to take an 11-2 halftime advantage. Gannon responded with three goals in the third quarter and matched Brown 2-2 in the fourth.
- Defensive Numbers: Mohacsi recorded 12 saves against Brown after his 15-save effort against Iona, giving him 27 saves over Sunday's two contests.
THE NEXT MATCH
Gannon returns to action on Saturday, Sept. 5 at the W&J Invitational in Washington, Pa. The Golden Knights open the day against Wheaton College (Mass.) at 10:30 a.m. before facing Connecticut College at 2:30 p.m.
This story was written using the support of AI.
