WASHINGTON, Pennsylvania - After a long trip to open the season out west, the Salem men's water polo team stayed considerably closer to home for their second round of competition in the 2025 campaign. This time, they played 4 contests in the Washington & Jefferson Invitational, and the Tigers cruised to 4 straight wins up in the Keystone State. Each game played out as follows:

Salem 25, Penn State-Behrend 15

In Game 1, the Tigers unleashed an offensive explosion that led to their highest overall scoring total of the season. 4 Tigers scored multiple goals for Salem with Danko Kesic leading the way with 8. Marko Zivojinovic added 6, and Antonio Sablic chipped in 3. In goal, Ewan Rios logged 8 saves for the Tigers. 

Salem 22, Washington and Jefferson 11

Much like the first contest, Salem had another strong offensive showing in Game 2 against the host Presidents. 3 Tigers finished with 3 goals each, namely Marko Zivojinovic, Nandor Voros, and Gage Buttice. In goal, reigning WWPA Defensive Player of the Week Mateja Cerovic added 16 saves in the win. 

Salem 15, Johns Hopkins 13

On day 2, the Tigers opened with their toughest matchup of the weekend in Johns Hokpins. However, a heroic effort from Danko Kesic with 7 goals and 3 assists sealed the win for the Tigers. In goal, Mateja Cerovic logged 12 saves and a steal in the contest. 

Salem 18, Pittsburgh Masters Team 14 

In the final contest of the weekend, Salem defeated a master's team from Pittsburgh in an exhibition matchup. The Tigers used the opportunity to get some younger players some valuable experience against solid competition, despite the contest not counting towards official records and statistics. 

When asked about how his team did this weekend, Head Coach Rob Bullion has this to say, " This weekend was a great opportunity for a lot of new guys to find and step into their roles on the team."

Fueled by these wins, the Tigers should be anxious to get back in the water in their next set of games, which are set for September 12th, 13th, and 14th when they face off with Princeton, George Washington, Mount Saint Mary's, Wheaton, MIT, and Navy in the U.S. Naval Academy Open in Annapolis, Maryland.