COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The Mount St. Mary’s University men’s water polo team fell in its opening match up of the 2025 season to the United States Air Force Academy by a score of 24-14 on the first day of Air Force’s Rare Air Challenge.
The first quarter started well for the Mountaineers, as Alexandros Belesis found the net for the Mount with seven minutes on the clock to tie the game at one-all against the Falcons. Ioannis Skliras kept things close with four minutes left on the clock, with the freshman from Athens, Greece scoring his first goal for the Mountaineers to make it 3-2. Veteran Chrysostomos Valavanis ended the Mountaineers’ attacking efforts in the frame when his goal in the final minute made it a 7-3 contest heading into the intermission.
Aaron Tarr began things in the second quarter, scoring his first goal within a minute of play to cut the Falcons’ lead to three. The South African scored again with two minutes left in the quarter to make it 10-5 with two minutes left on the clock. Belesis also noted his second goal of the game with nine seconds left to take the team into the halftime break down by a 12-6 count.
The Mount offense got things started early and fast to start the third quarter, after a hat trick completing third goal from Belesis game off a sprint win to start the quarter. A minute later, the offense found Tarr in transition with open pool, allowing the junior to beat the keeper one-on-one to complete his hat trick. Valavanis followed suit a minute later followed by a debut goal from Nikolaos Agritelis with five minutes left in the third quarter. Agritelis completed a hat trick in succession with the next two goals followed by a fourth from Tarr and a third from Valavanis within the last minute of play to trim their team’s deficit to four headed into the final intermission.
Air Force completed a fourth quarter shutout against the Mount while adding to their lead.
Agritelis, Valavanis, Belesis and Tarr posted hat-tricks against the Falcons, while Wes Reising and Ayden Hess notchd multi-assist appearances. Gunner Lanquist recorded two steals against Air Force.
In goal, Sherif Hosni racked up 11 saves in taking the loss.
Information courtesy Mount St. Mary’s University Athletics Communications
