ORADEA, Romania — While defending Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Champion Fordham University water polo gears up for the 2025 regular season in the Bronx, one of the team’s newest players is making his mark at the 2025 U18 European Championship in Oradea, Romania, as freshman Diego Tresa (Rome, Italy/Istituto Santa Maria) is playing for Italy in the 14-team tournament from August 18-24.
The countries that are competing include Greece, Serbia, Spain, Hungary, Montenegro, Italy, Croatia, Netherlands, Turkey, Germany, Malta, France, Romania, Georgia, Ukraine and Poland. Italy is in Group A with Greece, Hungary and the Netherlands.
Day one of the U18 European Championship saw Tresa and his Italian teammates top Greece, 14-9. Tresa scored twice in the match by converting on extra-man opportunity and penalty shot chances.
He buried a penalty shot with 56 seconds left in the second quarter to stake Italy to an 8-3 halftime lead as his homeland pounced on the Greeks by 4-1 and 4-2 counts in the first and second quarters, respectively. Greece attempted a third quarter comeback by outscoring Italy via a 4-3 count, but Tresa dented the twine with a man-up strike at the 1:18 mark to insulate the Italians’ lead for an 11-7 margin after three quarters of action. Italy closed out the victory by keeping Greece at bay with a 3-2 offensive advantage over the span of the fourth quarter for the 14-9 final score.
Tresa and the Italians will conclude Group A competition over the next two days as Italy faces the Netherlands at 5:30 p.m. local/9:30 a.m. Eastern on Tuesday, August 19, before mixing with Hungary at 8:30 p.m./12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 20.
Follow all the action at the 2025 U18 European Championship by CLICKING HERE.
Information courtesy Fordham University Athletics Communications
