Providence, R.I. – (September 5, 2021) – The 20
th-ranked Fordham water polo team concluded its stay at the Bruno Classic on Sunday, as action moved to Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.
In the opening match of the day, the Rams were edged in the final moments by Santa Clara, 6-5.
After netting the opening goal of the match, the Rams fell into penalty trouble, allowing three extra-man goals in the first two quarters to fall behind the Broncos, 4-1.
In the third quarter, the Rams took charge scoring three straight markers to knot the game at four.
George Papanikolaou netted his second and third goals of the game, while
Hans Zdolsek tied the game with 2:38 left in the period.
The final quarter saw Santa Clara go back ahead on another extra-man goal, but Fordham answered with Zdolsek's second of the game to leave the game tied at five with 4:24 left in regulation. The match whittled down to the final possessions, as Fordham was assessed another exclusion with only 27 seconds and followed with the Broncos getting the go-ahead goal by Matt McKim with 16 seconds on the clock.
The Rams were unable to get a clean look for the equalizer on the last possession, as Zdolsek's final attempt was deflected away, handing Fordham a 6-5 loss.
For Fordham, Papanikolaou finished with three goals and four steals, while Zdolsek had two goals and four steals.
Jason Hiremath had a pair of assists for the Rams with
Bailey O'Mara finishing with 12 saves, one assist, and one steal.
In the Bruno Classic finale, it was all Rams as the team blasted Mercyhurst, 25-5, as 14 different players found the back of the net at least once.
Zdolsek led the way for the Rams offensively with three goals and two assists, while
Curtis Vidinoff and
Michael Rahner each had three goals. Papanikolaou,
Nacho Ariste,
Quinn Wagner,
Gabriel Melillo, and
Skyler Knoflick each had two markers. The remaining goal scorers for the Rams were
Mark Katsev,
Victor Schultz,
Sebastian Zapatero,
Lucas Nieto Jasny,
Christos Loupakis, and
Dimitris Koukias.
Fordham water polo will return to pool on September 11-12 for the Princeton Invitational. The Rams face Cal Baptist on September 11
th, while on September 12
th, they will face St. Francis Brooklyn and Princeton.
