PROVIDENCE, RI - The Iona College women's water polo team opened up its 2017 campaign in in a hotly contested battle with Brown, ultimately falling to the Bears 12-10. Junior Hannah Schultz led the way with six goals. Junior Britten Vilander started in net, making 14 saves.

The Bears opened the scoring 2:06 into the contest. Schultz answered 27 seconds later to knot the score at one. After a goal by the opposition, junior Kayla Allen and Schultz each found the back of the net to give the Gaels their first lead of the game. The Bears beat the horn with two seconds remaining to deadlock the score at 3-3 after the opening eight minutes.

The Maroon & Gold were held off the scoresheet for the more than six minutes into the second quarter as the Bears scored a pair of goals. Senior Rebecca Kosky answered with 1:17 remaining before junior Karli Normand struck 47 seconds later. The Gaels and Bears went into halftime knotted at 5-5.

Brown put themselves back ahead with 3:52 left in the third quarter. After another goal by the Bears with 2:14 remaining put the home team up by two, Kosky scored her second of the game to cut the deficit to one, 7-6. Schultz continued to roll, striking the back of the net and tying the score back up at 7-7. Another late goal doomed the Gaels, as the Bears scored with three seconds remaining, putting the score at 8-7 heading into the final frame.

Schultz opened up the scoring in the fourth quarter, finding the back of the net 2:23 into the frame. The Bears scored the next two before Schultz scored her fifth of the game, cutting the deficit down to one, 10-9. With 2:49 remaining in the contest, the Bears struck to put themsevles back up a pair. Schultz tallied her final goal of the game with just under a minute to bring the score to 11-10. The Bears scored on the following possession to put the final score at 12-10.

Iona is back in action tomorrow in a double-header against No. 11 Princeton and No. 19 Harvard.