CLAREMONT, Calif. – The Wagner men's water polo team went 1-3 over the weekend at the Gary Troyer Tournament.
Game 1 Results: Wagner 10 – UC Irvine 21
The Wagner men's water polo team began play at the Gary Troyer Tournament on Friday with a tough matchup against No. 10 UC Irvine, falling 21-10 at Axelrood Pool.
The Anteaters came out strong, jumping to a 6-2 lead in the opening quarter. Wagner's early goals came from freshman
Kelly Murphy and junior
Vince Varga, keeping the Seahawks within reach after the first eight minutes.
In the second frame, UC Irvine extended its lead with another six-goal burst. Freshman
Landon Castillo scored with an assist from junior
Gabe Johnson and freshman
Nadav Carmon also found the net for Wagner, but the Green & White trailed 12-4 at halftime.
The Seahawks showed fight in the third quarter, trading goals with the Anteaters. Sophomore
Matt Wedlock, Carmon, and senior captain
Laszlo Strasser all struck in the period, shrinking the lead to 4-3 in favor of UCI.
In the final quarter, Wagner tallied three more goals — one from senior
Ryan Kerry, one from junior
Patrick Ray assisted by Friedenberg and the final from Castillo, assisted by junior
Maayan Nahari. However, UC Irvine closed the game with a 5-3 advantage to secure its 21-10 win.
Sophomore goalkeeper
Ian Conway was a bright spot in the cage, registering 13 saves against one of the top offenses in the country.
Goals: Castillo (2), Carmon (2), Murphy, Kerry, Varga, Wedlock, Strasser, Ray
Game 2 Results: Wagner 14 – Concordia 17
The Seahawks put together a strong performance in its second game of the Gary Troyer Tournament on Friday afternoon, but ultimately fell 17–14 to Concordia Irvine at Haldeman Pool.
The opening frame was a back-and-forth battle. Both Carmon and Ray scored to give Wagner an early spark, then Strasser added a third on a five-meter attempt, but Concordia answered with three straight goals to carry a 4–3 edge after one.
The Seahawks tried to respond in the second quarter. Strasser scored early in the quarter, and Friedenberg added another to equalize the scoring in the second period. Still, the Eagles held a slim 5–2 lead at halftime.
In the third, Concordia began to create separation but Wagner was able to keep scoring close thanks to goals from Carmon and Strasser, trailing just 13–9 heading into the fourth quarter.
The final eight minutes were tightly contested. Ray scored back-to-back goals while Strasser added two of his own. Carmon also fired a late strike to bring Wagner within one but Concordia held firm in the closing minutes, converting on the power play to secure a 17–14 win.
Conway anchored the defense with 10 saves, keeping Wagner within striking distance throughout.
Goals: Strasser (6), Ray (4), Carmon (3), Friedenberg
Game 3 Results: Wagner 7 – CS Fullerton 13
The team faced a tough test on day two of the Gary Troyer Tournament, falling to Cal State Fullerton 13–7 in a matchup dominated by the Titans' scoring surges.
Fullerton came out firing in the first quarter, jumping out to a quick lead Wagner was never able to fully erase. Wagner's Strasser, Friedenberg and Murphy responded with critical goals to keep the Seahawks within reach.
In the second and third quarters, Fullerton continued its scoring but Wagner countered with contributions from Castillo and Strasser. Wagner made a final run in the fourth quarter. Scorers like Strasser and freshman
Jonah Aguilera showed resolve, but Fullerton closed the game on a tie 2-2 with the Seahawks in the final period to secure the 13-7 victory.
Wagner's keeper Conway, faced heavy fire against Fullerton's offensive onslaught and made several key saves to slow the tide.
Goals: Strasser (3), Castillo, Murphy, Friedenberg, Aguilera
Game 4 Results: Wagner 20 – Chapman 15
The team closed out its West Coast trip on a high note Saturday evening, defeating Chapman 20–15 in a back-and-forth offensive battle. The Seahawks used big scoring stretches in the first and third quarters to secure the win.
Wagner started off strong, scoring five times in the opening frame to grab momentum early and holding a one-goal cushion after the first.
Chapman made its push in the second quarter but Wagner kept its edge behind goals from Ray and Castillo. At halftime, the Seahawks held an 11–6 lead.
Wagner then exploded to score six goals in eight minutes, turning a close contest into a commanding lead. Friedenberg kept up with a consistent pace, and Strasser was nearly unstoppable, notching multiple goals in the frame, while Castillo also joined scoring run. Wagner's defense held Chapman to just six goals in the period, allowing the Seahawks to build a 17–12 lead heading into the final quarter.
Wagner matched the Panthers strike for strike in the closing period and finished with three goals in the quarter, securing the 20–15 win and closing the tournament on a strong note.
Goals: Castillo (5), Strasser (5), Carmon (2), Nahari (2), Friedenberg (2),
Matt Wedlock, Aguilera, Ray, Gerhardstein
