LEWISBURG, Pa. — The No. 17-ranked Fordham University water polo team finished off a perfect weekend at the Bucknell Invitational by posting wins over Wagner College, 14-5, and Mount St. Mary’s University, 21-11, in Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) competition.
With the two wins, Fordham improves to 8-3 on the year, 4-0 in the MAWPC. The team also extends its conference win streak to 22 games.
The day started with a memorable defensive performance by the Rams in to top Wagner by nine goals.
After Wagner took a 2-1 lead with just seconds left in the first quarter, Fordham reeled off the next 12 goals over the course of the following two-plus quarters to lead 13-2.
Fordham held Wagner without a goal in both the second and third quarters and partway through the fourth. In all, the Seahawks went over 20 minutes of game time without scoring.
For Fordham, Gabriel Melillo led the offense with four goals to go with three steals, while Luca Silvestri had three markers and an assist. George Papanikolaou and Barnabas Eppel each had two goals with Balazs Berenyi, Mark Katsev and Gabriel Guinane having the final three tallies.
In net, Riccardo Di Giuseppe made seven saves to earn the win.
The Rams then capped the weekend by topping Mount St. Mary’s by 10 goals.
With the score tied at three-all in the first quarter, Jacopo Parrella and Papanikolaou scored late markers in the frame for a 5-3 lead.
Fordham padded the lead to 12-7 by halftime, as Silvestri netted a hat trick in the quarter.
The Rams put the game away on defense, holding the Mountaineers without a goal in the third quarter and a 13-minute stretch overall into the fourth.
For Fordham, Parrella netted four goals and two assists with Silvestri, Paul Armingol and Lucas Nieto Jasny each having a hat trick. Katsev and Reid Thorson added two goals apiece, while Eppel, Papanikolaou, Jagger McMannis and Brendan Cassidy rounded out the scoring with one goal each.
Di Giuseppe finished with five saves and an assist in net for the Rams.
Information courtesy Fordham University Athletics Communications
