POUGHKEEPSIE, NY- The Iona College women's water polo completed the MAAC Championship Sunday afternoon. In a seesaw battle that featured three ties and two lead changes, the number-three seeded water polo team topped number-four seeded Villanova University 12-10 for a third-place finish in the 2015 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Women's Water Polo Championship here this afternoon.
Junior Jordan Carmody, freshman Kayla Allen and freshman Paige Neary each hit two goals for the Gaels, who finished the season with 22 wins and 15 losses. Senior Monica Stiles, junior Meghan Mahoney, junior Sara Bortz, junior Dana Andrea, junior Rebecca Mathews, and MAAC Rookie of the Year, freshman Hannah Schultz, added one goal apiece.
Junior goalie Dana Delucchi recorded ten saves, and senior goalie Devin Green made one steal. On defense, Iona made 13 steals with three by Mahoney. The Gaels drew six Wildcat kickouts with Matthews drawing two. Andrea won all four swimoffs.
With 3:22 gone in the match, Carmody put Iona on the board, but Villanova capitalized on a 6-5 advantage to tie the score at one with 2:57 left in the opening period. With three unanswered Gael scores from Allen, Mahoney and Bortz, the Gaels regained the lead and went up 4-1 with 38 ticks left. Thirteen seconds later, however, the Wildcats narrowed the Iona lead to 4-2.
Carmody's second goal 59 seconds into the second quarter increased the Iona advantage to 5-3. Over the next four minutes, Villanova rallied with five consecutive goals to tie the match at five at the 3:37 mark, go ahead 6-5 a minute later, then lead 7-5 with 1:27 left. Andrea ended the Gael offensive drought with 44 ticks left, but the Wildcats answered for an 8-6 halftime lead.
In the third period, the Gaels mounted a comeback of their own with three unanswered scores. Just 39 seconds into the quarter, Stiles pulled Iona within one 8-7. After Schultz tied the score with 1:29 to go, Neary gave Iona the lead again 9-8 with 30 ticks on the clock.
On the Gaels first fourth-period possession, Mathews increased the Gael lead to 10-8, but the Wildcats answered to trim the Iona edge to one with 5:53 left. Two straight Gaels scores from Neary and Allen in the closing three minutes sealed the win despite a last-second Villanova goal.
Despite yesterday's disappointing semifinal loss to Wagner, Iona head coach
Brian Kelly was pleased with his team's season-ending victory.
“It was a nice hard-fought victory against a Villanova team that's been giving everyone in the conference fits all season,” said Kelly, who coached in his eleventh consecutive MAAC championship
