Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 O'FALLON, Ill. – The Augustana Vikings men's water polo team fell 18–10 to the Salem Tigers and 19-17 to the McKendree Bearcats on Sunday during day two the McKendree Mini. 

Game 1 versus Salem 

Salem jumped out quickly, taking a 5–1 lead after the opening eight minutes. Mark Addison tallied Augustana's first goal on a power play off a setup from Ben Symington to cut into the early deficit. The Tigers capitalized on a penalty shots and a powerplay as well as a late counterattack to build momentum into the second quarter.

In the second period, Salem extended their lead with three unanswered goals before Cole Faux found the back of the net to make the gap 8–2. The Vikings found themselves down 10-2 at the end of the second.

The Vikings found their rhythm in the third, producing four goals behind a surge from James Davis and Mason Landes who added unassisted goals. Stevan Rasic would find 3 goals in the period netting assists from Tyler Leslie and Rhys Lomax. Goalkeeper Declan Hutton made multiple stops to slow the Tigers' transition game. Salem still carried a 15–6 lead into the fourth after a high-scoring exchange.

In the final period, Augustana's offense continued to attack with composure. Ian Palmroos scored on an assist from Oskar Bannister early in the quarter, followed by Rasic's third goal of the day. Bannister finished strong, finding the back of the cage twice in the final two minutes to close the game 18–10.

Rasic led the Vikings with three goals on nine shots, while Bannister added two goals and an assist. Addison, Davis, Landes, Palmroos, and Cole Faux each chipped in one goal apiece. Lomax and Symington both tallied assists, and Hutton posted 10 saves and two steals in 32 minutes of action.

Game 2 versus McKendree

The Bearcats opened the match with early offensive pressure, converting a power play in the opening minute to strike first. Rasic quickly answered for the Vikings with help from Lomax to even the score at one apiece. McKendree responded with three straight goals to move ahead 4–1 before Rasic added his second of the frame off a feed from Leslie to cut into the deficit. McKendree found the net once more in the closing seconds to carry a 5–2 lead into the second period.

Augustana's attack picked up pace in the second. Mason Landes got the Vikings started with a goal assisted by Bannister, trimming the margin to 5–3. McKendree answered with a pair before Ian Palmroos scored off a setup from Trentin Lechleitner to make it 7–4. Alden Brinkmeier continued the momentum, finishing a pass from Mark Addison to pull within two. The Bearcats added one late to head into halftime ahead 8–5.

The Vikings stormed back in the third period with their most productive stretch of the day. Landes struck again early to make it 9–6, followed by a power-play conversion from James Davis assisted by Symington. After another McKendree goal, Lomax found the back of the net with help from Faux to keep the game within reach. Addison connected on a power play to make it 11–9, and Brinkmeier followed less than a minute later to pull within one. Leslie then beat the buzzer with a quick strike to end the quarter down just 12–11, setting up a tense final eight minutes.

Augustana carried that energy into the fourth, as Palmroos scored off a Lechleitner assist to tie the game at 12. The teams traded goals throughout the frame, with Landes and Addison each adding scores off assists from Bannister to keep pace. Rasic delivered his third and fourth goals late in the period, including a power-play finish and another quick strike from Addison, bringing the Vikings within one at 18–17. McKendree tallied one final insurance goal with under a minute remaining to secure the 19–17 decision.

Rasic paced Augustana with four goals, while Landes finished with three. Addison contributed two goals and two assists, and Lomax posted two goals with one assist. Brinkmeier and Palmroos each scored twice, while Bannister dished out three assists. Davis and Leslie rounded out the scoring with one goal apiece. In goal, Declan Hutton recorded 10 saves in 32 minutes of play.

With the two results, Augustana moves to 6–6 on the season. The Vikings will return to action next weekend for the MPSF Weekend I on Oct. 18–19, facing Austin, Mercyhurst, and Wheaton (Mass.) on Saturday before wrapping up play Sunday against Washington & Jefferson and Penn State Behrend.