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Annapolis, Md.- The Mercyhurst Men's Water Polo team opened up their first season in Division I at the Navy Open this weekend with matches against George Washington, John Hopkins and Occidental. The Lakers were unable to walk away with their first Division I win in the open. 

How it Happened 

The Lakers played their first game against George Washington and fell in a 17-8 match. Junior Owen Gardner opened his season strong with two goals in the opening game after being named an All-American a season ago. Sophomore Asher Jones also put two points on the board, but in the end the offensive attack from George Washington was too much. Sophomore Kai De Orebeta, Senior Andrija Sekulic and Freshman Joseph McCreary reached scored three goals for George Washington. 

In the second game, John Hopkins stole a 21-18 victory over Mercyhurst. Petar Vujovic put on a show with a nine goal performance. Owen Hardner followed up a solid first game with a four goal game, but it wasn't enough. John Hopkins scored three goals in the final three minutes to secure the win over the Lakers. Senior Ian Raley led the Blue Jays with seven goals. 

The Lakers final match of the weekend came against Occidental. The Tigers walked away with a 16-6 win. Asher Jones scored two goals for the Lakers as they couldn't get their offense going. Senior Aiden Cawley, Sophomore Zane Derrod and Sophomore Lars Schubert each recorded hat tricks as they walked away with their second win of the season. 

Highlights

The Lakers hopped into the water as a Division I team for the first time and saw some promising play throughout the weekend. Hardner and Vujovic had strong games that the Lakers will look to build off as they continue along. 

Next Game 

The Lakers will be back in the water next weekend when they travel to Cassville, WV., where they'll play John Hopkins, the University of Toronto and Salem. Action starts on Saturday, September 14th at 1:20 p.m.