POUGHKEEPSIE, NY –  In a double-overtime game that included five ties, the Iona women's water polo team lost 13-12 to Virginia Military Institute in this morning's Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference match at Marist College.

Senior Hannah Schultz led the Gaels (9-21, 6-4 MAAC) with three goals, while seniors Megan Hofer, Devika Joshi and Kayla Allen had two scores each. Senior Karli Normand, freshman Jordan Van Reeken and freshman Laura Rockett scored one goal apiece.

Senior goalie Britten Vilander made eight saves on 30 VMI shots and grabbed three steals.

On defense, the Gaels made 14 steals with five by Joshi. Iona drew four VMI kickouts, all by Schultz, and were ejected eight times. The Gaels scored on one of four man-up chances, while the Keydets capitalized on 4-8. Iona turned the ball over nine times.

The Gaels jumped out to 2-0 lead in the 2:28 of the match with goals from Schultz and Joshi until the Kaydets answered with two unanswered scores to tie the game at two with 2:27 left in the first period.

Schultz needed only 55 seconds into the second period to put Iona back up one 3-2. With 5:07 remaining, Van Reeken upped the Iona lead to 4-2, but VMI capitalized on a man-up chance on their next possession to trim the Gael advantage to one 4-3. Two straight Iona goals from Allen and Schultz in the closing 2:38 gave the Gaels a 6-3 lead at halftime.

Consecutive Keydet goals tied the game for the second time at seven at the 3:28 mark. With Hofer's second goal with 1:58 remaining, the Gaels regained the lead 8-7 going into the final period.

Thirty-two seconds into the fourth quarter, Normand gave Iona a two-goal cushion 9-7. Two Keydet scores on consecutive possessions tied the game for the third time at nine with 4:07 left. Rockett and Allen restored the Gaels' two-goal edge with 2:10 on the clock, then the Keydets answered with two scores for an 11-all tie with 1:05 left to force overtime.

The Keydets got their first lead, 12-11 with 43 seconds gone in the first overtime. Joshi tied the score at 12 just 23 ticks later. VMI scored on a 6-5 advantage with 18 seconds remaining to lead 13-12 going into the second overtime period in which neither team scored.

With his squad once again failing to capitalize on "numerous" chances to score, Iona head coach Brian Kelly expressed his disappointment with the "hard-fought" loss.
"It was a disappointing loss in a hard-fought game," Kelly said. "We had numerous opportunities to get the W, but did not complete the task."