Robert Juhas and Milos Popovic scored five goals apiece in their final collegiate game as Salem University ended the 2019 season on a winning note with a 16-9 victory over Mercyhurst University in the third-place game of the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference-West Region Tournament Sunday at Erie, Pa. Michael Rojas added two goals and Salvador Orozco added a goal as the four seniors combined for 13 of the Tigers' 16 goals.
 
Salem finished the season with a 12-12 mark for its best winning percentage since 2004.

Popovic was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament and earned All-Tournament First Team honors. Rojas and goalkeeper Julen Alonso were both named to the All-Tournament Second Team.
 
Orozco opened the scoring just 46 seconds into the contest and Popovic and Rojas followed with goals to give Salem a 3-0 lead with 4:02 left in the first period. Mercyhurst (9-17) answered with two goals in the final 1:39, but Salem would keep the lead the remainder of the contest.
 
Juhas scored a pair of goals in the first two minutes of the second period and Popovic followed with a power play goal just 25 seconds after Juhas's second goal to extend the Tigers' lead to 6-2 with 5:47 left before halftime. Popovic assisted on a goal by Manuel Soto Estela and Juhas scored again with 3:25 remaining to cap Salem's five-goal run as the Tigers led 9-4 at the half.
 
Four different Tigers – Petar Leontijevic, Estela, Rojas and Popovic – scored to open the third period as Salem's lead ballooned to 13-4. Mercyhurst put together a four-goal run in the fourth quarter before Juhas capped the game's scoring with a pair of goals in the final 97 seconds of the contest.
 
Leontijevic had a game-high three assists, while Popovic also sparked the Tigers defensively with seven steals. Goalkeeper Julen Alonso recorded 15 saves and four steals.
 
Salem finished with a double-digit wins total for the third consecutive season.