Princeton, N.J. (September 5, 2025) – Mount St. Mary's men's water polo fell to the No. 9 Princeton Tigers by a score of 18-10 on Friday morning. With the loss, the Mountaineers fall to 1-4, going 0-3 against ranked opponents so far in 2025.
 
Princeton started the first quarter fast, scoring four goals on the Mountaineers off the back of a defensive wall at the back of the defense. The shutout was broken with 52 seconds remaining in the first, when Aaron Tarr found himself one on one with the goalkeeper, lobbing the ball into the corner of the goal for the Mount's first score. The Tigers once again came out flying to start the second, scoring six on the Mount before Gunner Lanquist dispatched the ball to Nate Valentine in the hole set, with the junior from Blue Bell, Pennsylvania spinning the ball of his back hand past the goalkeeper for the Mount's second goal.
 
The Mountaineers were the ones to start the second half flying, as Ioannis Skliras skipped the ball from the right wing past the goalkeeper for the first score of the third quarter. Fellow countryman Alexandros Belesis followed suit thirty seconds later, scoring a penalty that was drawn by Ayden Hess. Tarr scored his second of the morning inside the fourth minute, with the South African scoring from the wing. Skliras scored the Mount's fifth unanswered goal of the game with three minutes on the clock after the freshman found the net on the far side of the goalkeeper.
 
Belesis once again found the net for his second goal of the afternoon in the fourth, beating the goalkeeper one on one after a brilliant pass from Sherif Hosni found the Greek in open pool. Skliras also capitalized on a long Hosni pass and open pool with two minutes on the clock, completing his hattrick in the fourth. Belesis completed his hattrick in the fourth as well, beating the goalkeeper to his near post within two-meters with a minute on the clock. Before the final horn, Aiden Ziger found the net, putting back a deflection from the goalkeeper for a goal.
 
Both Belesis and Skliras notched three goals apiece against the Tigers, with Tarr completing a brace in the contest. Hosni notched 12 saves in goal against Princeton, including two penalty saves in the second quarter alone. The senior from New Zealand also recorded four assists in the game, displaying arm power and vision of the pool.
 
 
 
No. 9 Princeton 18, Mount St. Mary's 10

Team                          1    2    3    4     F 
Mount St. Mary's              1    1    4    4     10
No. 9 Princeton               4    6    5    3     18
 
Goals: Belesis 3, Skliras 3, Tarr 2, Valentine 1, Zieger 1
 
Saves: Hosni 12
 
COMING UP
 
The Mountaineers return to the pool tomorrow, September 6 at 8:00 p.m., facing off against No. 20 Santa Clara.