SALEM, W. Va. – The Mercyhurst University men's water polo team won the College Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division II Championship on Saturday with a pair of victories at Salem International University. Along the way, Mercyhurst improved to 9-4 overall and stretched its winning streak to nine straight.

In the first game, senior Dave Matulis' fourth goal of the game, with 26 seconds left in regulation, gave the Lakers a nail-biting 13-12 win over Gannon University on Saturday afternoon. The Lakers handed the Golden Knights their second one-goal setback (12-11) to them in the last eight days.

Matulis led the offense with four goals and an assist. Freshman Matt Bachler scored three times while junior Jack Howe (2g, 3a) and freshman Alec Diaz (2g, 1a) also had multiple goals. Freshmen Connor Schmitz (1g, 1a) and Philip Jenny (1g, 1a) completed the Mercyhurst scoring.

Talk about evenly matched - the teams were tied at 4-4 after a quarter, at 6-6 at intermission, and at 9-9 after three.

Junior goaltender Andrew Too-A-Foo recorded 16 saves.

Mercyhurst clinched the title with a 15-10 win against host Salem International on Saturday night.

Senior Jordan Hodur paced the attack with four goals, Matulis had three, freshman Ivan Ariza joined Diaz with two apiece, while junior Michael Lawson collaborated with Schmitz, Howe, and Bachler for solo tallies.  Assists were collected by Howe (2), Diaz (2), Bachler (2), Matulis, Jenny, junior Joey Ryan, and freshman Noah Ratliff.

Too-A-Foo was, again, solid in net, making eleven stops.

Mercyhurst led 5-2 after a quarter, 10-5 at halftime, and 12-5 entering the fourth.

Matulis, who finished the two contests with a combined seven goals and two assists, was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.

The Lakers will play a pair of games next Saturday, October 24, in New York City. Mercyhurst will tangle with Iona College at 9:30 a.m. Saturday morning before competing against host Fordham at 4:30 p.m.