By: Mohammad Najimi (@mnajimisjsu) – Spear Reporter | Spartans’ Brendon Gyapjas and Mateja Bosić celebrating their comeback victory against No. 8 UC Davis. (Photo by Javen Takhar – Spear Photographer)
The No. 6 ranked San Jose State men’s water polo team delivered one of its most resilient performances of the season on Saturday morning, storming back from a three-goal deficit to defeat No. 8 UC Davis, 9–8, at the SRAC.
After trailing 7–4 midway through the third quarter, the Spartans turned up their defensive intensity and composure to outscore the Aggies 5–1 the rest of the way, sealing a dramatic victory that showcased both mental toughness and tactical execution.
Senior two-meter Maro Tiozzo led the way for the Spartans with five goals, one assist and two steals — a season-best performance that proved decisive in the comeback effort.
Sophomore driver Samu Biros added one goal, two assists and two steals. While junior center Nathan Correia, freshman utility Bence Kristok and senior driver Mateja Bosić each found the back of the net once.
Senior attacker Erik Duesund orchestrated much of the offensive flow with three assists and two steals, and junior goalkeeper Brendon Gyapjas anchored the defense with 13 saves.
For No. 8 UC Davis, redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Baxter Chelsom finished with seven saves in goal.
Redshirt sophomore attacker Thomas Kiesling, senior utility William Fosselman and redshirt freshman attacker Thomas Marr each netted two goals, accounting for the bulk of the Aggies’ offense.
The Spartans capitalized on five of eight man-up opportunities, while the Aggies managed just four of 11.
The first half, however, belonged largely to UC Davis. The Spartans struggled with turnovers early, allowing the Aggies to capitalize on transition opportunities and maintain offensive pressure.
UC Davis led 6–4 at halftime, buoyed by ball movement and a pair of strikes from Kiesling and Marr.
SJSU looked to reset in the third quarter, but after trading goals with Davis to make it 7–5 entering the final frame, the Spartans’ comeback was far from certain.
That’s when the tone shifted.
“We knew that the game was not over and we just kept pushing,” Tiozzo said. “We started communicating more on defense, that’s why we got so many stops. In offense, we started to build our attack more, move the ball better, use our clock, and yeah — goals came after that and that’s how we won.”
With the defense tightening and communication improving, SJSU held UC Davis to just one goal in the final eight minutes.
Tiozzo scored twice in the fourth quarter, including the go-ahead goal with six minutes left, completing SJSU’s 7–4 deficit turnaround.
“It was a big comeback, it was a good win because Davis was a lot better than they were the first time we met them,” Tiozzo added.
SJSU’s patience on offense proved crucial in the rally. After forcing passes and taking rushed shots in the first half, the team began to settle into more structured possessions, rotating the ball and waiting for clean looks.
“I think the key was we didn’t rush our offenses,” Biros said. “We helped ourselves, helped each other in defense, and we just remained patient. We knew we were the better team, and we just had to prove that.”
That composure showed in the final two quarters, as SJSU outscored Davis 5–2 and consistently shut down their man-advantage opportunities.
“I think that was a big difference between the first and second half,” Biros said. “In the first half, we didn’t really communicate in man-down. And it was one of the key points in the second half. We only received two goals in the second half. We scored five. It’s a key in defense and in offense as well.”
SJSU head coach Gabor Sarusi praised both Tiozzo and Gyapjas for setting the tone in the second half.
“I think [Tiozzo] was the MVP of the game for both sides,” Sarusi said. “Our goalie had a really amazing game, too, but I think Maro, with the five goals, I think it was his best game for us.”
While the scoreboard reflected a gritty individual effort from Tiozzo, the comeback was a team-wide statement.
SJSU’s ability to rally without two of its key players — who were sidelined for the matchup — further underscored the squad’s growing depth.
“Not having two of our key players playing today and seeing the other players stepping up for the team, I think that’s a really good sign,” Sarusi said. “Because the deeper we are towards the end of the season, the better we will have a chance to be at the conference tournament when you have three games in three days.”
The victory strengthens No. 6 SJSU’s standing among the top teams in the Collegiate Water Polo Association.
SJSU’s next game is later today at 4:30 p.m. against UC Santa Barbara at the SRAC.
