By: Mohammad Najimi (@mnajimisjsu) – Spear Reporter | Spartans’ senior attacker Erik Duesund goes up looking to pass to a teammate during their NCAA Quarterfinals match against the Rams on Dec. 5. (Photo by Haddy Barghouti – Spear Photographer)
The fifth seeded San Jose State men’s water polo team fell 13-9 to the fourth seeded Fordham Rams in the NCAA quarterfinal round Friday afternoon at Stanford’s Avery Aquatics Center.
The Spartans were looking to make an impact in the tournament, but got rammed back to San Jose.
Fordham pulled away in the second quarter, scoring three goals to SJSU’s one, giving the Rams a 7–4 halftime advantage.
While the Spartans continued to generate offensive opportunities, they struggled to fully close the gap, never getting closer than two goals the rest of the way.
SJSU head coach Gabor Sarusi was visibly frustrated on multiple sequences throughout the match as the team’s execution slipped out of sync during key moments.
“I thought we had really good looks. I thought we didn’t make an extra pass in the first half on 6-on-5 situations,” Sarusi said. “The shot selections were not sharp enough. We didn’t put our really good looks away, unfortunately.”
Freshman utility Sam Keightley, making his NCAA tournament debut, led SJSU with three goals and an assist.
His scoring kept the Spartans within striking distance early in the second half and showcased the promise he brings to the future of the program.
For Keightley, the moment was equal parts surreal and motivating.
“My mindset was to give everything I’ve got, 100% for the team, right to the final whistle, even if the result wasn’t what we wanted,” Keightley said.
Even in defeat, the experience has already fueled him for what comes next.
“Motivation-wise, no one likes losing. So as a freshman, this is my first taste of national championships in the quarterfinals. Pretty gutting, but that’s going to motivate me for next year,” Keightley said.
Despite the final score, the Spartans won several of the major statistical categories.
They had three field blocks compared to Fordham’s one, and junior goalkeeper Brendon Gyapjas recorded eight saves, double of what Fordham’s graduate goalkeeper Matthew DuPuis had, who finished with four.
While the team struggled to generate enough consistent offense to keep pace with Fordham’s scoring runs, Sarusi said his halftime message was meant to reset his players mentally after a sluggish start.
“To wake up. Wake up and play our game because we weren’t playing our game in the first half,” Sarusi said.
SJSU senior driver Mateja Bosić, playing his final game in a Spartan cap, contributed a goal and two assists in the loss.
His playmaking kept SJSU afloat at times, but afterward, his focus shifted to the younger athletes who will carry the program forward.
“I hope I’ve left something for younger guys, some experience, and I really hope that next year they will come back stronger and they’ll do more than what we did,” Bosić said.
The Rams’ sophomore utility Luca Provenziani was the kryptonite for the Spartans as he would end the game with four goals and two assists.
The exit marks the end of an impactful senior class, including Bosić and several core contributors who helped elevate the program over the past three seasons.
Still, the combination of returning upperclassmen and the emergence of young talent, including Keightley, gives Sarusi optimism for what lies ahead.
“We are just going to miss our seniors. They had a great career with us. But I think the returning class is a very strong one, and our incoming class is a very strong one,” Sarusi said.
