WWPA Championship Day 1: History, revenge, and not enough nails to bite
GENEVA, Ohio - The Western Water Polo Association will have a new champion in 2025.
Semifinal Saturday for the WWPA Men's Championship is set after Biola downed titleholder Salem and Fresno Pacific dispatched McKendree.
The Eagles move on to face No. 1 East seed Gannon in Saturday's first semifinal (Nov. 22, 12pm) before FPU meets No. 1 West seed Concordia (Nov. 22, 2pm).
Live coverage is available for free on thewwpa.com.
Quarterfinal 1: #3W Fresno Pacific 17 - #2E McKendree 13 | Box Score
Highlights
Postgame Interviews
Fresno Pacific will make its first-ever appearance in the WWPA Championship Semifinals after beating McKendree 17-13 in Friday's first quarterfinal.
FPU (5-18) fell behind early, but kept within arm's reach, eventually holding McKendree (11-12) scoreless for nearly six minutes while building a lead it wouldn't relinquish.
All-WWPA Second Team selection Forrest Gray scored a game-high six goals, Luke Young contributed a season-best 4-for-4 shooting, and All-WWPA Honorable Mention Chase Hammes' nine saves anchored a Sunbird defense that held the Bearcats to just 1-of-10 on the powerplay.
McKendree came out firing in the first quarter, taking a two-goal advantage early on and holding it until late in the second period. Gray eventually tied the score, but All-WWPA First Team Armand Le Goff's bar-down shot from a tight angle gave the McKendree an 8-7 lead at the break.
From there, it was all 'Birds.
Blake Johnson scored on FPU's first possession and Gray grabbed the lead 90 seconds in. He pushed the lead to two a couple minutes later before Christian Clark made it 11-8.
James Ramey found Alexandros Prokopis with a clever floating pass that allowed Prokopis to stop the run at the 2:28 mark.
It wouldn't be enough as Tristan Fox scored on back-to-back possessions to make the lead four, 13-9, at the end of the third. McKendree wouldn't get closer than three the rest of the way.
Le Goff paced McKendree with four goals and two assists. All-WWPA Second Team Yannick Robertson scored twice.
McKendree will play an exhibition against UC Merced Saturday morning (Nov. 22, 10am) before competing in the 5th Place game on Sunday morning (Nov. 23, 9am).
Quarterfinal #2: #2W Biola 15 - #3E Salem 14 | Box Score
Highlights
Postgame Interview
Momma always said timing is everything.
Bet she never said it's best to be last.
Must've not been a water polo player.
Biola (9-20) did not hold a lead for nearly 38 minutes of a 40-minute game, but finished ahead when it mattered most.
Kyle Seifen handed BU its only advantage with 2:05 remaining, WWPA Honorable Mention Joshua Dachenhausen made four key saves while holding Salem (15-15) scoreless over the final 3:19, and the Eagles upended the defending titleholder, 15-14, in the second semifinal on Friday afternoon.
The win avenges the Eagles' one-goal loss to SU in the 2024 semifinal.
The Tigers jumped out to an early two-goal advantage and held that position throughout the game. The only problem was Biola simply would not let them out of their sight.
After SU's Gage Buttice made the lead three in the second quarter, Alec Abrahamian and Adam LaVoy got the Eagles back within one moments later. Salem led by two late in the third, but Isaac Demski pulled another one back to make it 12-11 at the fourth-quarter break.
Unfortunately for Salem, the dam began to break.
LaVoy pulled the Eagles even at 12-12 two minutes in, the first tie BU had forced since the 6:04 mark of the second quarter. Buttice scored again, but Ryznar answered the next possession to make it 13-13.
After Marko Jovanovic put the Tigers in the lead with just over three minutes remaining, Ryznar scored his third goal of the half to pull even, 14-14.
Dachenhausen denied a close attempt on the next possession before Levi Bengelink found Seifen for the game-winning goal at the 2:05 mark. It was Bengelink's only assist of the match and Seifen's only goal.
Sam Hurey and Marko Zivjojinovic's attempts in the last minutes were saved by Dachenhausen.
LaVoy led the way with a season-high four goals and four assists, Nick Murray registered a hat trick, and Dachenhausen blocked 11 shots.
Nandor Voros paced Salem with four goals and four assists.
Salem will face UC Merced in an exhibition on Saturday afternoon (Nov. 22, 4pm) before playing McKendree in the 5th Place game Sunday morning (Nov. 23, 9am).