Giovanni Martino

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The Gannon University men’s water polo team earned an opening round win at the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Southern Division Championship at the United States Naval Academy by shutting out Salem International University en route to a 8-0 victory. 

Gannon jumped out to an early 4-0 lead after the first quarter and would quickly add to it, out-scoring the Fighting Tigers 3-0 in the second quarter. The Golden Knights scored just once in the second half, but were able to preserve the shut-out and seal the 8-0 win. 

Gannon’s last shut out also came against Salem International back in 2007 when the Golden Knights won by an identical 8-0 score. 

Daisuke Takagi (Tsukuba, Japan/Namiki) was the only Golden Knight to score multiple goals, finishing with two. 

Gio Martino (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas), Ben Feasley (Takoma Park, Md./Montgomery Blair), Tytus Kwiatkowski (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North), Tommy Nimrod (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South), Jason Jamieson (Cape Town, South Africa/ Rondebosch) and Marc Krolikiewicz (Elmhurst, Ill./York) would all add a goal in the win. 

Devon Williams (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Alvin (Texas) earned the shut-out after recording five blocks in the match. 

Gannon is now 9-8 on the season and will face Princeton University, the No. 2 seed, on Saturday, November 6 at 10:15 a.m. at Navy with a berth to the 2010 CWPA Eastern Championship at stake.

Release courtesy Gannon Athletic Communications