ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Mount St. Mary’s University men’s water polo won two of their three matches at the 2025 Navy Open on Saturday, September 13, by defeating Salem University, 22-16, and Connecticut College, 20-12 while falling to Division III No. 8-ranked the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in sudden death overtime, 15-14.
Facing Salem in the team’s opening game of the day, a close 6-5 first quarter win was capped off with goals from William Matthews and Nikolaos Agritelis following pairs of markers by Aaron Tarr and Ioannis Skliras. Skliras continued the second quarter with good form by scoring two, while Nate Valentine got on the scorecard.
The Greek continued his first half scoring in the third quarter by firing three more goals into the net, while Tarr, Valentine, Chrysostomos Valavanis and Jack Fox all got on the scorecard.
Tarr added three more goals in the fourth quarter, followed by two more from Skliras and a solo strike by Valavanis.
The Mountaineers got off to a good start against MIT in game two, with Skliras finding the net twice and Alexandros Belesis notching a tally for a 3-1 lead against the Engineers.
A combination of goals from Valavanis and Tarr tied the second quarter as both teams scored twice, while Fox, Skliras and Valavanis once again scored goals in the third quarter while Belesis completed a hat-trick in the frame.
A resurgent MIT offense scored four in the fourth quarter, but two crucial goals from Belesis and Fox forced overtime. Matthews found the net twice in the extra time, but with a three-goal showing in overtime from MIT allowed the Engineers to claim a 15-14 win.
Matthews opened the game against Connecticut College with two goals in the first quarter. Six goals from Gunner Lanquist, Aidan Zieger Fox, Skliras, and two more by Matthews helped the Mount to a 8-1 lead at halftime.
Max Economy, Lanquist, Matthews and Tarr added goals in the third and fourth quarters, while Valavanis scored a fourth quarter hat trick to round out an eight-score victory.
Release courtesy Mount St. Mary’s University Athletics Communications
