MWP | Gaels Take Down Wagner and Mount St. Mary’s, Improve To 2-1 at Princeton Invitational

Saturday, September 12

Princeton, NJ

5:00 AM

Saint Mary's College of California

Wagner

MWP | Gaels Take Down Wagner and Mount St. Mary’s, Improve To 2-1 at Princeton Invitational

9/12/2026 2:27:00 PM | Men's Water Polo

PRINCETON, N.J. - Saint Mary's men's water polo took down Wagner this morning by a score of 19-11 in a thrilling victory highlighted by a six-goal performance from graduate transfer Mason Black, before defeating Mount St. Mary's 16-6 this afternoon to improve to 2-1 at the Princeton Invitational and 5-5 on the season.

HOW IT HAPPENED VS. WAGNER

The Gaels started the game strong, as they've done so often this season, with Noah Bigara scoring within the first two minutes of action to get Saint Mary's going. Back-to-back goals from Italian nationals Domenico Barillà and Rocco Di Rosa then gave the Gaels an early three-goal lead. Di Rosa then picked up his second goal of the first quarter, before Mason Black and Andrew Donlin scored their first goals of the match to give the Gaels a 6-2 lead at the end of one. Black was just getting started, as the Aussie picked up two more goals in the second quarter to give the Gaels a 9-3 lead at the half.

Black matched his three-goal performance in the first half with three more goals in the third quarter alone, bringing his total on the day to six after entering the match with seven on the season. Donlin was next to the party, as he scored two more goals in the match to secure the hat trick, and became the first Gael to reach double-digit goal and assist numbers on the season. The match was nearly complete when two Gael freshmen, Stryder Stelck and Alessandro Fumo, picked up their first collegiate goals, solidifying the 19-11 victory over Wagner and their first win of the Princeton Invitational.

HOW IT HAPPENED VS. MOUNT ST. MARY'S

Saint Mary's once again started the game on a 3-0 run, with goals from Noah Bigara, Ethan Klerck, and Leo Hachem, with Hachem scoring two in the first quarter to become the first Gael this season to eclipse the 20-goal mark. Rocco Di Rosa then picked up his first goal of the game and third of the day to give the Gaels a three-goal lead after the first quarter of play. Hamish Ellison was next on the scoresheet, as the Australian National netted two goals in the second quarter to give Saint Mary's a 9-4 lead at the half, their fewest allowed goals in a first half since taking on Whittier six days prior.

The Gaels came out strong in the second half, with New Zealand native Harry Irwin picking up his first goal of the match and second of the day just 56 seconds into the half. Ethan Klerck and Leo Hachem were next on the goal list, with Hachem collecting his fourth goal of the match to give the Gaels a six-goal lead after three quarters. Concord native Kyle Stilinovich then notched a brace in the fourth quarter, bringing him to three goals on the day and solidifying the ten-goal victory for the Gaels, their largest margin of victory since taking down Mercyhurst 26-9 on opening weekend.

GAME NOTES

Mason Black's six-goal performance was the most in a game since Hugo Riley's seven goals against Mercyhurst at the Triton Invitational.
Andrew Donlin became the first Gael to reach double-digit goal and assist numbers on the season after his hat trick against Wagner.
Leo Hachem scored four goals against Mount St. Mary's, bringing his goal total on the season to 23, the highest among Gaels in 2026.
Nine different Gaels recorded a goal in the Wagner victory, the most in any match this season for Saint Mary's.
Freshmen Stryder Stelck and Alessandro Fumo scored their first collegiate goals, as both freshmen scored in consecutive matches on the day for Saint Mary's.
17 different Gaels have now found the back of the cage in the Gaels' inaugural season.
Federico Castrucci and Griffin Lagsden split the decisions, each picking up a win in cage.

LOOKING AHEAD

The Gaels return to action tomorrow to take on Bucknell at 5:00 a.m. PST, in what will be a rematch of opening weekend when the Gaels took down Bucknell 12-9 to pick up their first win as a program. The match will be unavailable to stream, so be sure to follow your Gaels on Facebook, Instagram, and X to get all the latest Saint Mary's athletics updates and information.

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