USAF ACADEMY, COLO. – In their collegiate debuts, Manuel Soto Estela scored the game-winning goal with 54 seconds left and goalkeeper Julen Alonso made two crucial saves in the final 30 seconds as Salem University opened play in the U.S. Air Force "The Rare Air" Men's Water Polo Invitational with a 15-14 victory over University of La Verne (Calif.) Saturday at USAF Academy, Colo. The contest was the Tigers' season opener.

Salem settled for a split on day one after a 17-4 loss to nationally-ranked Division I George Washington University. Sunday, the Tigers dropped a 20-11 decision to University of Redlands (Calif.) and fell to tournament host and Division I Air Force 20-4.

Salem (1-3) entered the final period against La Verne with a 13-10 lead after Michael Rojas scored with 42 seconds remaining in the third period. After the Leopards rallied to tie the contest with three unanswered goals, Saequan Miller put Salem back on top 14-13 with his game-high fifth goal of the game with 4:42 left to play.

La Verne tied the game again exactly two minutes later before Estela put home the game winner in the final minute. Estela is a freshman driver from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.

Alonso preserved the Tigers' lead with a save on a five-meter penalty shot and a save on a power play shot. The freshman from Madrid, Spain, finished with 18 saves, including two on penalty shots.

Salem fell behind 5-4 early in the second period, but Milos Popovic and Salvador Orozco scored goals 33 seconds apart to put the Tigers back on top with 5:49 left before halftime. Salem never trailed again.

Popovic tallied three goals and three assists for Salem, while Michael Rojas also scored three goals.

Against George Washington, Petar Leontijevic's goal with 4:45 left in the first period pulled Salem within 2-1. The Colonials regained the momentum with a 9-0 run. Popovic scored two of the Tigers' four goals, both in the third period.
 
The Tigers opened Sunday's play against Redlands and were tied 2-2 midway through the first period after goals by Leontijevic and Adam Hudson. The Bulldogs built the lead up to three goals before Estela's goal pulled Salem within 6-4 late in the period. Redlands put home a goal with seven seconds left in the period and outscored the Tigers 6-1 in the second period. Salem never got closer than seven goals the rest of the way.
 
Leontijevic and Hudson paced Salem with three goals apiece.
 
In the tournament finale, Air Force scored the first six goals of the contest before Salem answered with a 3-1 run in the second period. Leontijevic, Hudson and Robert Juhas each scored to pull Salem within 7-3. But the Tigers were limited to one goal in the second half.
 
Despite the goal differential, Salem matched Air Force in total shots 25-25. Neither team allowed a power play goal.
 
After playing four games in Mountain Time Zone, Salem concludes its road trip in Central Time Zone as the Tigers stop in Monmouth, Ill., Monday to take on Monmouth College. Game time is 8 p.m. (Eastern).