Milos Popovic and Michael Rojas scored two goals apiece in Salem University's season-high eight-goal first period and the Tigers went on to defeat Washington and Jefferson College 21-8 in the opening game of the Bucknell University Men's Water Polo Invitational Saturday at Lewisburg, Pa. Popovic, Rojas and Petar Leontijevic led the Tigers with four goals apiece. Rojas also had five assists.
 
The Tigers settled for a split on the day after an 11-8 loss to Division I Fordham University. Salem held the Rams scoreless in the fourth period to slice a six-goal deficit in half. Earlier in the day, Fordham defeated tournament host and nationally 13th-ranked Bucknell University 17-15.
 
Against Washington and Jefferson, Rojas put Salem on the scoreboard 37 seconds into the contest and assisted on a goal by Salvador Orozco just 39 seconds later to give the Tigers a quick 2-0 lead. Rojas scored again with 5:27 left and Popovic sandwiched his two goals around a goal by Robert Juhas to extend the Tigers' lead to 6-0 with 2:46 remaining. Adam Hudson and Leontijevic closed out the first period scoring.
 
Salem stretched the lead to 11-0 in the second period before the Presidents scored their inaugural goal of the contest with 4:21 left before halftime. Popovic and Saequon Miller scored for Salem and the Tigers went into the half leading 13-2.
 
A goal by Leontijevic with one second left in the third period gave Salem its biggest lead at 19-2. After a Washington and Jefferson goal, Popovic's fourth goal of the game matched the Tigers' biggest lead. Washington and Jefferson scored six of its eight goals in the final period.
 
Goalkeeper Julen Alonso recorded seven saves and a steal. The eight goals allowed were a season low for the Tigers.
 
Against Fordham, first-period goals by Orozco and Manuel Soto Estela pulled Salem within 3-2 after the Tigers spotted the Rams a three-goal lead. Fordham pulled away to take a 7-3 halftime lead and build an 11-5 advantage entering the final period.
 
Popovic scored a power play goal with 6:47 left in the contest. The Tigers were limited to one shot over the next three minutes until Rojas scored with 3:07 remaining to cut the margin to 11-7. Rojas closed out the scoring with a penalty shot with 32 seconds left.
 
Salem concludes play Sunday with a pair of matches, both against nationally-ranked Division I opponents. The Tigers take on No. 12 Harvard University at 1 p.m., then finish up at 4:45 p.m. with a rematch against No. 14 George Washington University.