WASHINGTON, Pa. – The Gannon men's water polo team picked up a pair of victories on Saturday at the W&J Invitational, cruising past Wheaton (Mass.) 22-9 before rallying for a thrilling 16-15 victory over Connecticut College at Henry Memorial Natatorium.
The Golden Knights scored 19 goals over the final three quarters against Wheaton before using a seven-goal fourth quarter to erase a two-goal deficit against Connecticut College.
Nick Thompson (Hudsonville, Mich./Hudsonville) scored the game-winner with 25 seconds remaining in the nightcap as Gannon completed a 2-0 day and improved to 3-3 on the season.
THE GAME FACTS
Game One
Score: Gannon 22, Wheaton (Mass.) 9
Records: Gannon 2-3
Location: Henry Memorial Natatorium – Washington, Pa.
Date: Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026
Game Two
Score: Gannon 16, Connecticut College 15
Records: Gannon 3-3
Location: Henry Memorial Natatorium – Washington, Pa.
Date: Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026
THE KNIGHT CAP
Game One – Gannon 22, Wheaton (Mass.) 9
Pulling Away: Gannon held a 3-2 lead after the opening quarter before outscoring Wheaton 19-7 over the final three periods. The Golden Knights scored six goals in the second, seven in the third and six in the fourth.
Balanced Attack: Ten different Golden Knights found the back of the net.
Nick Thompson (Hudsonville, Mich./Hudsonville) led Gannon with four goals, while
Rajmund Farsang (Eger, Hungary/Neumann Janos Gimnazium),
Callum Snider-Mills (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) and
Dillon Shaw (Salt Lake City, Utah/Skyline) scored three apiece.
Creating Chances: Nathaniel Castellon (Eastvale, Cal./Eleanor Roosevelt) handed out a game-high four assists and scored once for five points. Farsang and Snider-Mills also finished with five points on three goals and two assists each.
Defensive Pressure: Gannon recorded 16 steals, led by six from Snider-Mills. Farsang and
Nikita Rudoi (Sabadel, Spain/Jaume Viladoms) added three steals apiece.
Strong in Goal: Hewson Morphy (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) played all 32 minutes and made 11 saves while allowing nine goals.
Game Two – Gannon 16, Connecticut College 15
Fast Start: Gannon opened a 5-2 advantage after the first quarter behind two goals from Rudoi and one apiece from Shaw, Castellon and
Michael McGarry (Erie, Pa./McDowell).
Momentum Shift: Connecticut College outscored Gannon 9-4 over the middle two quarters, including a 6-3 advantage in the third, to take an 11-9 lead into the fourth.
Fourth-Quarter Surge: The Golden Knights erupted for seven goals in the final eight minutes.
Mateja Zjacic (Belgrade, Serbia/High School of Electrical Engineering "Nikola Tesla") scored three times during the fourth-quarter comeback.
Zjacic Leads the Offense: Zjacic finished with a team-high four goals and two assists for six points. Shaw totaled two goals and three assists, while
Giacomo Peretti (Verona, Italy/Liceo G. Fracastoro) added two goals and two assists.
Thompson Delivers: Connecticut College tied the game at 15-15 with 1:03 remaining before Thompson scored the game-winning goal with 25 seconds left to give Gannon the 16-15 victory.
UP NEXT
Gannon returns to tournament action on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 12-13, when the Golden Knights travel to Bridgeport, W.Va., for the Salem Invitational.
This story was written using the support of AI.
