Max Zelikov and United States U-20 Team Earn Silver at The Junior World Championships
We want to congratulate Max Zelikov on a huge week spent with Team USA’s U-20 contingent in Zagreb, Croatia competing in the U-20 World Championships.
Max shined for the United States team with several big goal involvements that helped to lead the American national team to their greatest podium finish historically since the U.S. has begun competing in major international age group water polo competitions
Team USA started competition on June 14th, competing against the host nation Croatia proved to be a tough task for the American as the Croats opened strong and held on for 19-10 victory. Day 2 of competition proved the Americans had the talent to compete with any of the teams in the competition. Competing against raining Junior World Champions Hungary, a team consisting of several top NCAA collegiate players as well as several professional players that compete for European club powerhouses such as Ferencvaros and Pro Recco, the Americans had their heart’s broken at the last second when Botond Balogh, a teammate of Max at Stanford University, cashed in the game winner for the Magyars with a second left in the game to earn a hard fought 13-12 win. The third day of bracket play finally brought the U.S. national team their first victory, taking down Montenegro 16-10, Max began the second quarter with an assist to fellow Stanford Cardinal, William Schneider, then rifled home his first goal of the tournament from a penalty shot and minutes later added his second from a beautiful nearside high corner shot that pushed the American lead to be 9:6 at the time, Max’s contribution in the second helped the American contingent cement that lead going into halftime and in the fourth quarter the Yanks pulled away to cement their first victory and earn a spot in the round of 16 the following day.
The Round of 16 proved a fruitful affair for the Americans, crossing over with the Iranian national team, the Americans quickly built a lead and overwhelmed the Iranians with a score of 23-5, Max had himself a game finishing with three goals, two assists and a steal. The first two goals coming from the right-hand side of the pool, the first one using his signature lean over before crashing the ball into the net off the crossbar, the second was a well-timed shot around the blocker beating him to the nearside. His third goal came from a catch shot on the top timing the goalkeeper jumping across before converting. Max also showed his passing prowess, delivering two beautiful passes to teammates, Connor Ohl and Kiefer Black, who both converted on beautiful catch and shoot opportunities.
With victory over the Iranians the Americans came into the quarterfinals match up against the Serbians as massive underdogs, the Serbs possessed arguably the best center forwards in the whole competition and were expected to dominate the Americans on the exclusions drawn, however, the Americans jumped on the Serbians from the start. The Serbs responded quickly through their own superstars such as Champions League Silver Medalist for European powerhouse Novi Beograd, Luka Gladovic, and were able to draw the first quarter, however, in the second quarter the Americans roared to life scoring five goals to the Serbians two, including a stunner from Max who after playing catch with a teammate attacking the Serbian zone defense reeled off several fakes before firing a thundering skip into the nearside from the weakside beating the blocker and the young Serbian goalkeeper. However, the American halftime lead of 9-6 would not last, a lack of substitutions would prove to be the near downfall for the Americans as the Serbs won the second half 8-5, tying the game at the end of regulation 14-14. In the penalty shootout it would be American goalkeeper Charlie Mills, Landon Akerstrom and Max who would be the heroes in the shootout. On the fourth round of penalties, Mills came up with a stunning save, punching out the shot from the Serbians back into the field of play, then Max stepped up as the fourth American shooter, firing a ferocious skip to the goalkeeper’s right side while the Serbian goalkeeper jumped to the left gave the Americas the 4-3 lead in penalties, after the Serbians converted one more, Akerstrom stepped up and fired home the winning penalty, leading the American underdogs to a huge semifinal match up against the Hungarians.
In the semifinal match up the Hungarians came out firing, led by captain Oliver Leinweber, the all-around play of young superstar Vince Varga and the use of their dominant center, the Hungarians controlled the momentum of the first half as nearly every shot they took found the back of the American net, however, the U.S. team was not discouraged, led by Tournament MVP, Ryder Dodd, the Americans kept up with the ferocious Hungarian attack and only found themselves down 10-9 at halftime, at one point in the second quarter the Hungarians held a four goal lead, however, Max again proved his steel in big moments, in a nearly dead extra man opportunity, Max used his big fakes to draw the defense, leaving Akerstrom a lot of room to step forward to receive a dry pass for a beautiful nearside skip finish. The third quarter was another tie, both teams adding three more goals to their tally. In the fourth, where many would believe the experienced and tournament favorite Hungarians to seize the game was where the Americans stunned them, blasting six goals into the Hungarian net, while only allowing three proved that his American team was unlike any of the past, ready for the big moments, with a historic 18-16 victory over the Magyars the Americans earned their first ever bid into the Junior World Championships gold medal match.
The final on June 21st, lined up the Americans against the Spanish national team, another national team starving for success in the U-20 age group. The match started off strong for the thus far undefeated Spaniards as they won the first quarter 3-1, the second quarter the Americans exploded like they did against the Hungarians the previous night and put away six goals into the Spanish net taking a 7-5 lead into halftime. The second half was problematic for the Americans, only scoring one in the third quarter and three in the fourth on the back of the an extra man offense that could not find the back of the net, the Spanish team used their extra man defense to put pressure on the Americans as they scored three goals in the third and by the time they had rebuilt the lead in the fourth, the Americans found themselves out of options as the Spanish team took the championship with a score of 14-11.
Max ended the U-20 campaign in Croatia with 7 goals to his name along with 4 assists and a steal, providing valuable minutes coming in off the bench for the U.S. National Team.
For the Americans it is a moment of pride, proving their 2023 bronze medal finish to not be a fluke but a building block for a talented core of young men from around the same age group that have earned the two highest finishes for the American national team on the men’s side at any age group.
For us at South Florida Water Polo Club, it’s a huge moment of celebration, to have our own Max Zelikov, who worked his socks off for years, especially more with how majority of the American pipeline is based in California, for him to earn these plaudits and recognition, making him the first Florida-based athlete to compete for the American National Team at the Junior or Senior level since Drac and Janson Wigo nearly 20 years ago. We hope that Max’s great campaign in the National League, Senior Nationals as well as showing out at the U-20 World Championships even while playing on limited time will help him to become a mainstay in the upcoming season for Stanford who will surely rely on him as well as teammates from the U-20 team, Ryan Ohl and William Schnider.
Congratulations Max! We are proud of everything you have accomplished and the rewards for all your incredible hard work.
To see Max’s highlights from the tournament, check out our team’s Instagram.
