BRONX, NY - The Iona men's water polo team split two non-conference matches at Fordham University with a 13-6 win this evening over Mercyhurst University after falling 11-10 to Salem International University.

Iona 10 Salem 11

Despite a fourth quarter rally with three straight goals, Iona fell short 11-10 to Salem University in this afternoon's first match. Sophomore Quinn Lloyd led the Gaels with four goals, while senior Marc Stauble and freshman Patrick Hudak had two scores each. Senior Jonathan Hulbert and sophomore Cullen Seipp scored one game each.

Sophomore goalie Jorge Andres Torres made 13 saves on 28 Salem shots and four steals.

With 2:01 gone in the match, Salem got on the board first, but Quinn tied the game at one on the Gaels' next possession. Salem retook the lead 2-1 with 5:21 left in the first period, then Stauble retied the match at two each 20 seconds later. The Tigers capitalized on their first man-up chance at the 4:09 mark for a 3-2 edge, until Hudak tied the score at three 26 ticks later. Two unanswered Salem goals, including a five-meter penalty shot, gave the Tigers a 5-3 advantage going into the second period.

Lloyd's second goal pulled Iona within one 5-4 with 2:51 gone in the second period, but Salem answered on its next possession to go up 6-4 at the 4:43 mark. Lloyd hit his second goal on the Gaels next possession to narrow the Salem lead to one 6-5. Fourteen ticks later the Tigers scored, but Seipp's goal with 46 seconds left pulled the Gaels back within one 7-6 at intermission.

Salem outscored Iona 4-1 in the third period with Stauble scoring the sole Gael goal with 2:56 left, as the Tigers led 11-7 going into the final period. Holding the Tigers scoreless in the fourth quarter, the Gaels rallied with three unanswered goals. Only 34 seconds into the fourth period, Lloyd's third goal pulled Iona within three 11-8. Hulbert scored 2:34 later to trim the Salem lead to two 11-9 with 4:42 remaining. Hudak's steal gave Iona the ball back with 28 seconds left, then Hulbert scored with 10 ticks left, but the Gael rally fell short 11-10.
 
Iona 13 Mercyhurst 6
 
Lloyd led the Gaels again with four goals, while senior Marc Stauble had three scores. Senior Zach Roper and freshman Patrick Hudak made two goals each, and senior Jonathan Hulbert and junior Philip Wachowski had one score each.

Sophomore goalies Sebastian Van Reeken made 10 saves on 25 Lakers shots, three steals and one assist, and Michael Banks saved both shots he faced in the final period.

On defense, the Gaels made 13 steals with three by Stauble and three blocks. The Gaels drew 11 Lakers kickouts with three by Hudak, including a five-meter penalty shot, while being ejected five times. Iona turned the ball over 11 times. Iona scored one goal on 10 man-up chances, and Mercyhurst made two of five.

With 2:23 gone in the match, Mercyhurst struck first, but Roper's breakaway goal assisted by Van Reeken evened the score at one each with 4:08 on the clock. Iona briefly took a 2-1 lead on Lloyd's first goal with 3:42 left, but Mercyhurst retied the game at two 1:17 later. Two straight Gael goals by Stable, both assisted by Rothman, in the closing 2:13 gave Iona a 4-2 edge going into the second period.

With the Gaels outscoring the Lakers 3-1 in the second period, Lloyd needed only 24 second to hit his second score to give Iona a 5-2 edge, but a Mercyhurst lob trimmed that advantage to 5-3 with 5:54 left. Two straight Gael goals on consecutive possessions from Roper and Hulbert built a 7-3 Iona lead with 5:13 remaining to intermission.

The Gaels opened the third period with two unanswered scores from Hudak and Lloyd for a 9-3 edge with 5:49 to go. Mercyhurst trimmed the Iona lead to 9-4 on a man-up goal at the 3:53 mark, but on Iona's next possession, Stauble hit a five-meter penalty shot drawn by Hudak to up the Gael advantage to 10-4. With one tick left on the clock, Hudak gave the Gaels a 11-4 lead going into the final period.

Two straight Lakers goals in the opening 3:17 of the fourth quarter cut the Iona advantage to 11-6 until Lloyd's man-up goal put the Gaels back up six 12-6. Wachowski sealed the win with 16 seconds left.

While disappointed with his squad's defense in today's first game, Iona head coach Brian Kelly was pleased with improvements in the second game win.   "We had too many breakdowns defensively in the first game which is very uncharacteristic of us and it hurt us," Kelly said. "We corrected that in game two and played great defense and Sebastian was great in goal."

The Gaels host Fordham University in the annual battle for the Judge Cup on a Maroon Maniacs night on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Hynes Pool.