BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. — The Mercyhust University men’s water polo team dominated Washington & Jefferson College, 16-9, during the final day of the 2026 Salem Invitational hosted by Salem University at the Bridge Sports Complex. The victory marks the Lakers’ first win of the season and was led by four Mercyhurst hat-tricks.
In the first quarter, Mercyhurst got on the board first with a goal coming from Ben Gavran. Petar Vujovic continued the flow of offense by getting a goal of his own. Asher Jones also got on the board, further extending the lead for the Lakers. Cooper Venneman scores with the assist coming from Jones. The Presidents responded with back-to-back goals, but Mercyhurst led 4-2 going into the second quarter.
The Lakers began the second quarter by scoring three goals. The first goal came from Jones with Vujovic assisting on the strike. The second goal came from Ethan Green, which was assisted by Constantine Romanov. The third goal came from Gavran scoring his second of the game, extending the Lakers lead by five with just under five minutes to go. The Presidents scored three goals, but they trailed 7-5 going into halftime.
Mercyhurst began the third quarter with Vujovic scoring back-to-back goals, giving him a hat-trick on the day. The Presidents were able to respond with a power-play goal with about five minutes to go. Green scores on the power-play for the Lakers, tallying his second of the day. Caden Stover put a marker on the scoreboard for the Lakers to push Mercyhurst’s lead back to five as the squad carried an 11-6 margin into the final eight minutes of regulation.
Going into the fourth quarter, the Lakers scored three goals to open up the frame. The first goal came via a penalty shot from Green to complete a hat-trick. The second goal was provided by Declan Puacz prior to Peter Bodoki punching in the third tally for an eight-goal spread. The Presidents scored a goal of their own with just under four minutes to go before notching a man-up tally in chipping the lead down to six.
Gavran scored off an assist by Jones to answer for the Lakers, the Presidents responded and Jones finished a pass from Gavran as the Lakers kept the Presidents at bay down the stretch.
Information courtesy Mercyhurst University Athletics Communications
