Credit to Harvard Sports Media Relations for Details

CAMBRIDGE, MA - A week after dropping games to Bucknell and Harvard at the Princeton Invite, the Iona College women's water polo team picked up wins against the familiar foes on Sunday at the Harvard Invitational at Blodgett Pool.

Against the Bison, senior Mackenzie Mone had five goals to go along with three steals.  Junior Alyssa Turza found the net four times and had two steals of her own.  Sophomore Amy Olsen had two goals, three steals while senior Cecilia Leonard had one goal, two assists and two steals.  Sophomore Marisa Gaynor had eight saves in net as well as two steals.

Against Harvard, the Crimson led by as many as four goals during the contest, but timely scoring by Iona put the Gaels back in the game. Iona had the last chance in regulation, putting a shot from nine meters off of the post to send the match to overtime.

With the score knotted at nine, the teams were set to play two three-minute overtimes, per NCAA regulations.

Each team had multiple defensive stops during the first overtime frame, until Harvard found the back of the cage for the only score of the period. The Crimson and Gaels then switched offensive sides during the break, as Harvard held on to a 10-9 advantage.

Harvard's Shayna Price gave the squad a two-goal lead in the second overtime, as the sophomore netted a score with just over two minutes remaining. Iona quickly answered with a score of its own with 1:48 left to put Harvard's lead back at one.

The Crimson took possession and ran the 35-second clock as much as possible, before firing a shot that Gaynor tipped out of play. With a fresh 35-second clock and just over a minute remaining on the clock, Harvard stalled out the shot clock to give Iona limited amount of time to get a tying goal.

The Gaels took over with 32 seconds to play in what was almost certainly going to be the last possession of the game, needing a score to send the game to sudden-death overtime. Iona got the tally it need in the form of a backhand shot from Leonard that snuck past the right hand of Harvard goalie Ariel Dukes to tie the score. 

Iona won possession at the start of the fourth frame and quickly ended the contest with the golden goal by Leonard in the first 34 seconds.

The win gives Iona two victories over Harvard this season, as the Gaels have a 2-1 advantage in the series in 2012. The Crimson edged Iona, 14-13, in sudden death overtime Feb. 26.

Leonard had five goals overall, along with two assists and one steal.  Olsen had four goals and two steals while Mone finished with one goal, one assist, two steals and two kickouts drawn.  Sophomore Erika Lauraitis had goal and four steals and Turza had one steal.  Gaynor made an impressive 18 saves in net.

"Our defense was great this weekend," commented head coach Brian Kelly.  "It was something we knew we needed to pick up this weekend and we did."

The Gaels are back in action next weekend at the Marist Invitational in Poughkeepsie, NY.