Salem University rallied from an early three-goal deficit and scored the first goal of overtime, but the second-seeded Tigers fell to top-seeded Gannon University 14-13 in the Championship Game of the 2019 CWPA Division II Men's Water Polo Eastern Championship Sunday at Salem University Pool. The contest became a winner-takes-all title game after No. 4 seed Mercyhurst University defeated No. 3 seed McKendree University 16-14 in Sunday's first game.
 
Tiger senior driver Milos Popovic was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament. Popovic scored four goals Sunday and finished with 15 goals in three tournament games to extend his school-record career total to 304 goals. Senior utility player Michael Rojas joined Popovic on the All-Tournament Team.
 
Salem (10-11, 1-2 CWPA Championship) took a 12-11 lead on Adam Hudson's goal with 2:57 left in regulation. Hudson nearly gave the Tigers a two-goal lead, but Gannon goalkeeper Jacob Hollo made the stop. Hollo was named Goalkeeper and Rookie of the Tournament.
 
Gannon (15-2, 3-0) tied the game on a goal by Drago Marjanovic with 1:55 remaining. Hollo was credited with the assist.
 
Both teams had shots hit the post and Robert Juhas blocked a Gannon shot in the final minute to help send the game into overtime. Salem, which held Gannon scoreless in the second period, limited the Golden Knights to a single goal in the fourth.
 
After Tiger goalkeeper Julen Alonso made a save early in the first three-minute period, Petar Leontijevic scored off a pass from Juhas to put Salem back on top 13-12 with 1:55 remaining. Alonso made saves on three Gannon shots to preserve the Tigers' lead as the two teams switched ends of the pool for the second three-minute period.
 
Gannon evened the score at 13-13 after a goal by Anthony Squeglia with 1:25 remaining. After Hollo stopped a Tiger shot, Marjanovic put the Golden Knights ahead for good on a goal with 33 seconds remaining. Gannon forced a Salem turnover and was able to run the clock out to seal the win.
 
Salem spotted Gannon the first three goals of the contest and still trailed 5-2 when Rojas' goal with 3:27 left in the first period triggered a Tiger rally. Manuel Soto Estela scored with 2:37 remaining and Alonso recorded saves on five consecutive Golden Knight shots as Salem pulled within 5-4 at the end of the first stanza.
 
Leontijevic's goal 34 seconds into the second period tied the game and his power play goal with 4:21 left before halftime gave Salem its first lead at 6-5. Juhas completed the Tigers' 5-0 run on a goal with 2:10 remaining as Salem led 7-5 at the break.
 
Ryan Hinkley, who scored Gannon's last goal with 3:41 left in the first period, ended the Golden Knights' near 14-minute scoreless drought on a goal with exactly six minutes left in the third period.
 
Popovic sandwiched a pair of goals in a 29-second span around a Marjanovic goal for Gannon to build Salem's lead back to two goals. But the Golden Knights ended the third period with four unanswered goals to take an 11-9 lead heading into the fourth.
 
Popovic scored 44 seconds into the fourth period and Alonso assisted on a goal by Juhas with 5:11 left in regulation to tie the game again at 11-11, the third of five ties in the game. There were also four lead changes in the contest, the final lead change in the last minute of overtime.
 
Juhas and Leontijevic added three goals apiece for Salem. Juhas, Popovic and Rojas each recorded three assists. Alonso finished with 13 saves.
 
Salem will have next weekend off, then travel to Erie, Pa., November 9-10 to compete in the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference West Championship. The Tigers are the No. 3 seed in the seven-team tournament and will face sixth-seeded Washington and Jefferson College in the first round November 9 at 12:30 p.m.
 
A first-round win advances the Tigers to a semifinal-round game at 5 p.m. that day. A loss sends Salem to the fifth-place game November 10 at noon. The Championship Game is slated for November 10 at 1:30 p.m.

Order of Finish
1. Gannon (3-0)
2. Salem (1-2)*
3. Mercyhurst (1-2)**
4. McKendree (1-2)
*Salem wins three-way tie-breaker by virtue of highest goal differential
**Mercyhurst wins two-way tie-breaker by virtue of head-to-head win over McKendree
 
All-Tournament Team
Milos Popovic, Salem – Most Valuable Player
Jacob Hollo, Gannon – Goalkeeper of the Tournament/Rookie of the Tournament
Jack Donnelly, Gannon
Joseph Mahan, McKendree
Drago Marjanovic, Gannon
Jesus Osorio, McKendree
Michael Rojas, Salem
Anthony Squeglia, Gannon
Ryan Witoslawski, Mercyhurst
 
Shane Unger, Gannon – Coach of the Tournament