NEW ROCHELLE, NY - Despite a 2-0 first quarter lead and tying the score six times, the Iona men's water polo team fell short of upsetting seventeenth ranked Brown University 15-13 Sunday at the Hynes Center Pool in CWPA Northern Division action. Later in the day, the Gaels cruised to a 17-11 conference win over Connecticut College in its final match of the weekend.
Junior Jake Lloyd, the squad's leading scorer, and sophomore Zach Presto led the Gaels (2-10, 2-2 CWPA North) with three goals each. Senior co-captain Sean Davis and junior James Ramaley scored two goals apiece. Senior co-captain Bryan Driscoll, junior Ian Thompson and sophomore Geraldo Sanchez Rivera each scored once.
In the opening two minutes, Davis and Lloyd put Iona up 2-0, but Brown tied the game, then took the lead 3-2 with 1:02 left on three unanswered goals. Twelve seconds later, Presto tied the score at three going into the second quarter.
Both teams scored five goals in the second period to knot the game at eight when the halftime horn sounded. Presto netted two goals, while Ramaley, Davis, and Driscoll scored one each for the Gaels.
Only seventeen seconds into the third, Brown retook the lead 9-89, but Rivera tied the game 40 ticks later on a 6-5 Iona advantage. Brown scored twice, then Lloyd and Ramaley answered for a 11-11 tie with 1:09 left in the quarter. The Bears hit two last-minute goals to edge ahead 13-11.
Brown scored two more consecutive goals before Thompson and Lloyd rallied the Gaels within two 15-13 with 2:46 left.
Against the Camels, Lloyd led Iona with seven goals. Senior Lee Stiles hit three goals and junior Kyle Elmore scored two. Davis, Driscoll, Presto, Thompson, and junior Nicholas Joslyn added one goal each.
Iona's three goalies combined for twelve saves – senior Stefen Hill with three, junior Mike Pufunt with six, and sophomore Matt McCrudden with three.
After Connecticut opened with two scores, Iona began an eleven-goal streak that lasted into the third period. That gave the Gaels a 3-2 lead at the end of the first period, and a 10-2 advantage at halftime.
With head coach Brian Kelly inserting his reserves in the final two periods, the Camels outscored Iona 6-4 in the third, but the Gaels still maintained a 14-8 advantage going into the final quarter. Both teams each scored three goals in the final period.
Although pleased with two conference wins, Kelly felt his squad could have won all four matches this weekend.
“I thought we played well all weekend,” Kelly said. “We were fortunate to win two games, and we were in position to win four, but we couldn't get the goal or the key stop when we needed it against MIT and Brown.”
Iona next travels to the Bronx on Tuesday, Oct. 1 for a conference matchup against Fordham at 7:30 pm.
