CLAREMONT, Calif. — The No. 16-ranked Fordham University water polo team continued its hot hand by extending the team’s win streak to nine matches. The Rams topped Division III No. 2 California Lutheran University, 10-9, at Pomona-Pitzer Colleges’ Haldeman Pool and Westcliff University, 13-6, at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges’ Axelrood Pool on day one of the Gary Troyer Tournament.
With the two wins, Fordham is now 13-3 on the season.
In Fordham’s opening match, George Papanikolaou scored with nine seconds left in regulation to lift the Rams past Cal Lutheran, 10-9.
Trailing 2-1 after the first quarter, Fordham answered with back-to-back goals by Jacopo Parrella in the second quarter which eventually tied the game at three. A late marker on a 2-on-0 breakaway by Curtis Vidinoff put the Rams up one at halftime, 5-4.
Cal Lutheran then picked up the pace with four straight goals in the third quarter, but goals by Parrella and Jason Hiremath placed the lead for CLU at 8-7 with one quarter to go.
The Kingsmen added to the lead to start the fourth quarter, but back-to-back goals by Parrella made it a tie game at nine with 2:46 remaining in regulation.
A couple of big saves by Fordham goalkeeper Bailey O’Mara gave the Rams a chance in the final minute to take control of the game. That chance landed in the hand of Papanikolaou, who ripped a shot into the left side of the net with nine seconds left in regulation and only one tick remaining on the shot clock to put Fordham up 10-9.
Cal Lutheran got off two shots in their final possession as one hit the post, while the other was stopped by O’Mara as time expired.
For Fordham, Parrella scored a game-high five goals to go with three steals, while Lucas Nieto Jasny had a pair of tallies. Papanikolaou added four steals and an assist to his game-winning goal with Vidinoff having a goal and two steals.
In net, O’Mara finished with 11 saves to go with a steal.
In match two, the Rams took down Westcliff by a 13-6 score.
Leading 6-4 after halftime, Fordham scored four of the five goals in the third quarter to grab a 10-5 advantage. The team then tacked on three more goals in the final period for the 13-6 win.
For Fordham, Nieto Jasny led the offense with three goals, four assists, and three steals, while Papanikolaou had three goals and an assist. Hans Zdolsek and Christos Loupakis each scored twice with the remaining goals coming from Dimitris Koukias, Quinn Wagner and Daniel Lynch.
In net, O’Mara posted nine saves and two steals over three and a half quarters, with Thomas Lercari recording two saves in the remaining time.
Release courtesy Fordham University Athletics Communications
