STOCKTON, Calif.----- San Jose State University closed out its one-day, three-match participation in the Pacific Invitational with a school record 28 goals in a 28-7 victory over Fresno Pacific University on the first weekend of NCAA men's water polo.
The 28 goals exceeded the Spartans' single match best since the program was reinstated in 2015 of 25 goals that same season against Connecticut College.
La Salle University transfer Tomasso Ramacciotti led the San Jose State scoring barrage with seven goals. Nick Marchione scored a personal single-match best five times. Bence Szabo, Bendeguz Melkuhn, and freshman Eric Ellison from Bellarmine Prep in San Jose popped in three scores each.
Earlier in the day, San Jose State led No. 7 Pacific, 4-1 in the second quarter and had four more two goal leads in the match before the Tigers sent the match into overtime at 9-9. The Spartans scored twice in the overtime on goals by Bente Pardi and Adam Bado, but Pacific scored the last three including the match-winner by Reuel D'Souza with 1:08 in the second overtime. But it was the Tigers pulling out a 12-11 non-conference win.
Sophomore Mark Kis led San Jose State in scoring with four goals. Bente Szabo notched three in his Spartan debut and Pardi found the cage twice.
Goalkeeper Yahav Fire had a strong opening match stopping a single-match career-best 20 shots on goal.
"For our first match of the season, we played better than expected against UOP. Against a top-10 team in their pool, it was a great start for us," said San Jose State University men's water polo head coach Bruce Watson. "We played an even better team an hour later in Stanford that also was a good test for us."
It didn't get any easier for No. 12 San Jose State in a 16-7 loss to No. 4 Stanford. The Spartans had a brief 2-1 in the first quarter, but three consecutive goals capped by a penalty shot by Stanford's Tyler Abramson put the Cardinal ahead to stay at 4-2.
Goalkeeper Yahav Fire stopped eight Stanford shots giving him 28 for the day since he did not play in the Fresno Pacific match.
Bado was the only multiple goal scorer for San Jose State with two.
"We played very well versus Fresno Pacific and the weekend gave us a list of things to work on and the motivation to do it," said the Spartans head coach.
The Spartans open their home season Saturday, September 11, hosting UC Davis and Santa Clara and taking on Cuesta College in an exhibition match at the Student Recreation and Aquatics Center.
