ERIE, Pa. –
Nikiforos Liantziris (Athens, Greece/1o EPAL Zografou) scored five goals and added four assists as the Gannon men's water polo team defeated crosstown rival Mercyhurst, 23-16, on Friday evening at Hallman Aquatics Center in the opening game of the Laker Invitational.
The Golden Knights improved to 5-6 behind a balanced offensive attack that featured 10 different goal scorers.
Petar Markovic (Belgrade, Serbia/Sports High School of Belgrade) and
Giacomo Peretti (Verona, Italy/Liceo G. Fracastoro) each added four goals, while
Victor Volant (Fuveau, France/Font d'Aurumy) contributed six points and five steals. Gannon scored at least four goals in every quarter, including seven in the final period, to secure the victory.
THE GAME FACTS
Score: Gannon 23, Mercyhurst 16
Records: Gannon (5-6), Mercyhurst (1-11)
Location: Hallman Aquatics Center – Erie, Pa.
Date: Friday, September 25, 2026
THE KNIGHT CAP
- Five-Goal Performance: Nikiforos Liantziris (Athens, Greece/1o EPAL Zografou) led the Golden Knights with five goals and four assists for a game-high nine points. He scored twice in the opening quarter and added two goals in the second half.
- Four-Goal Duo: Petar Markovic (Belgrade, Serbia/Sports High School of Belgrade) and Giacomo Peretti (Verona, Italy/Liceo G. Fracastoro) each found the back of the net four times. Peretti also recorded an assist to finish with five points, while Markovic drew five exclusions.
- Strong Start: After Mercyhurst opened the scoring, Gannon responded with four consecutive goals to build a 4-1 advantage. Liantziris scored twice during the opening-quarter surge as the Golden Knights took a 4-2 lead into the second period.
- Offensive Firepower: Gannon erupted for six goals in both the second and third quarters, building a 16-11 advantage entering the final eight minutes.
- Fourth-Quarter Finish: The Golden Knights added seven goals in the final period, including two apiece from Callum Snider-Mills (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) and Nick Thompson (Hudsonville, Mich./Hudsonville). Thompson scored Gannon's final two goals in the closing minute to put the finishing touches on the victory.
- All-Around Effort: Victor Volant (Fuveau, France/Font d'Aurumy) contributed one goal and a team-high five assists for six points. He also led the Golden Knights defensively with five steals.
- Sharing the Wealth: Gannon finished with 19 assists on its 23 goals. Rajmund Farsang (Eger, Hungary/Neumann Janos Gimnazium) contributed four assists and one goal for five points, while Mateja Zjacic (Belgrade, Serbia/High School of Electrical Engineering "Nikola Tesla") added two assists.
- Defensive Pressure: The Golden Knights recorded 15 steals, with Volant leading the way. Michael McGarry (Erie, Pa./McDowell) and Dillon Shaw (Salt Lake City, Utah/Skyline) added two steals apiece.
- Balanced Attack: Ten different Golden Knights scored in the victory, led by Nikiforos Liantziris (Athens, Greece/1o EPAL Zografou) (5), Petar Markovic (Belgrade, Serbia/Sports High School of Belgrade) (4), Giacomo Peretti (Verona, Italy/Liceo G. Fracastoro) (4), Callum Snider-Mills (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) (2), Nikita Rudoi (Sabadel, Spain/Jaume Viladoms) (2) and Nick Thompson (Hudsonville, Mich./Hudsonville) (2). Victor Volant (Fuveau, France/Font d'Aurumy), Rajmund Farsang (Eger, Hungary/Neumann Janos Gimnazium), Dominic Demeritte (Nassau, Bahamas/Blake Academy) and Michael McGarry (Erie, Pa./McDowell) each added one goal.
Up Next
Gannon continues play at the Laker Invitational on Saturday, September 26, when the Golden Knights face Mount St. Mary's (Md.) at 11 a.m. at Hallman Aquatics Center in Erie, Pa.
This story was written using the support of AI.
