Milos Popovic became the Salem University all-time career men's water polo scoring leader as the Tigers split a pair of games at the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Invite Saturday at New London, Conn. Salem defeated event host Connecticut College 16-8 before falling to McKendree University 20-14.
 
A senior driver from Nis, Serbia, Popovic entered Saturday's play seven goals behind Djordje Stavrevski, who compiled 280 goals from 2014-17. Popovic tallied four goals in each of Saturday's two games, scoring the record-tying and record-setting goals in the fourth period against McKendree.
 
Salem (8-9, 3-2 MAWPC) spotted Connecticut College the first goal before Petar Leontijevic evened the score with the first of his two first-period goals with 5:04 remaining. Michael Rojas scored the tie-breaker 32 seconds later and Salvador Orozco added the first of his two first-period goals to give the Tigers a 3-1 lead.
 
The Tigers clinged to a one-goal advantage before breaking the game open in the second stanza. Manuel Soto Estela's goal with 5:14 left triggered a 3-0 run and Popovic added a pair of goals to extend Salem's lead to 9-5 at halftime.
 
Goals by Robert Juhas and Adam Hudson helped Salem build the lead to 13-6 in the third period. The margin never fell below six goals the rest of the way as Juhas and Popovic closed out the game's scoring with the final two goals of the contest.
 
Leontijevic and Orozco finished with three goals apiece, while Juhas and Popovic each had three assists. Goalkeeper Julen Alonso had 11 saves.
 
Against McKendree, Leontijevic put Salem on the board just 29 seconds into the contest and Juhas gave the Tigers a 2-0 lead on a power play goal with 5:09 remaining in the first period. McKendree came back with three unanswered goals and broke away from a one-goal lead with a 6-0 run to end the second period and take a 12-5 halftime advantage.
 
The margin grew to double figures in the third period before Alvaro Leon Parra's goal with 27 seconds left cut the margin back to single digits.
 
After another goal by Parra just 17 seconds into the fourth period, Popovic tied the school record 35 seconds later. Popovic broke the Tiger career record with his 281st goal with 1:28 remaining.
 
Parra and Rojas scored three goals apiece for the Tigers, while Juhas recorded a game-high four assists. Popovic added three assists to put him within nine assists of breaking Inigo Velasco's Tiger career record of 154.
 
Salem concludes conference and regular season play Sunday morning as the Tigers take on Washington and Jefferson College. Opening sprint is 9 a.m.