Salem University Men's Water Polo Wins Two at Erie Classic

The Salem University men’s water polo team secured two victories during the WWPA Erie Classic weekend, finishing with a 2-1 overall record.

According to salemtigers.com, the Tigers overcame an opening loss to rebound with decisive wins against McKendree University and Mercyhurst University.

The weekend began on Friday evening with a high-scoring contest against Gannon University. Salem established an early advantage, leading 5-3 after the first quarter, but Gannon eventually took control by scoring seven goals in the second quarter and eight in the third. Despite a six-goal effort in the fourth quarter, Salem fell 22-18.

Nandor Voros led the Tigers in the opening match with six goals and two assists. Antonio Sablic contributed four goals and three assists, while Medun Arsovic added three goals. Marko Jovanovic finished the game with two goals and four assists, and Jelle van Rossum recorded seven saves in goal.

Salem bounced back Saturday morning with a 14-13 win over McKendree University. The Tigers trailed 4-3 after the first quarter but managed to tie the score at 6-6 by halftime. After both teams scored four goals in the third quarter, Salem secured the one-goal victory by scoring five goals in the final period.

Samson Hurey led the scoring with four goals, while Marko Jovanovic and Nandor Voros each added three. Medun Arsovic contributed two goals, and Antonio Sablic scored once. The Tigers’ defense recorded 22 steals during the match, compared to 14 for McKendree.

The Tigers closed the weekend on Sunday with a 19-13 victory against Mercyhurst University. Salem opened the game with five unanswered goals in the first quarter to take a 5-0 lead. They extended that advantage to 9-4 by halftime after adding four more goals in the second quarter.

The scoring pace remained consistent in the third quarter, with both teams recording five goals. Salem maintained the lead and added five more goals in the fourth quarter to finish the weekend on a high note. The Tigers ended the three-game stretch with a total of 51 goals scored.

Individual performances during the Sunday victory included four goals each from Marko Jovanovic, Samson Hurey, and Medun Arsovic. Patrik Petlyanszki added three goals, while Nandor Voros finished with two. Gage Buttice and Rade Milosevic also scored for the Tigers.