TEMPE, AZ - On a rainy Sunday afternoon, the Iona women's water polo team was defeated by the University of California Santa Barbara (#10) and California State University Monterey Bay in the second day of the Cross Conference Challenge hosted by Arizona State University at the outdoor Mona Plummer Aquatic Center.

GAME 1: UC Santa Barbara 14, Iona 0
In failing to record a goal on 17 shots on goal, Iona (1-5 overall) suffered the first shutout loss in the program's storied history in a 14-0 defeat to No. 10 University of California Santa Barbara.
In goal, redshirt junior Jordin Hale made ten saves and one steal, while allowing 12 goals. Freshman Cristina Chiappini did not record a save, while allowing two goals.

On defense, sophomore Jordan Van Reeken made a steal and sophomore Laura Rockett blocked a shot. The Gaels drew nine Gauchos exclusions, while being ejected ten times. Iona turned the ball over 14 times and did not connect on eight man-up chances, while Santa Barbara went 3-10 on man-up opportunities.

With 52 seconds gone in the match UC Santa Barbara struck first and followed with two more unanswered goals to lead 3-0 going into the second period. The Gaels managed only one shot on goal in the opening period. In the second quarter, the Gauchos added five more goals, including two man-up scores, for an 8-0 advantage at intermission. Iona recorded four shots on goal, but failed to score in the second quarter.

Santa Barbara's three straight third-quarter scores gave the Gauchos a 11-0 margin going into the final period. Iona's six shots in the third period on goal failed to find the back of the net. The Gauchos sealed the win with three goals, including a five-meter penalty shot, in the final period, while Iona did not score on five shots and three man-up chances.

GAME 2: Monterey Bay 9, Iona 7
Despite being up 2-1 at the end of the first quarter and tying the score four different times, Iona fell short 9-7 to California State University Monterey Bay in the tournament's final match this afternoon.

Sophomore Jordan Van Reeken led the Gaels with three goals. Freshman Jillian Schultz had two goals, while sophomore Laura Rockett and freshman Karsyn Stewart scored one goal each. The Gaels had three assists with two by Schultz.

In goal, redshirt junior Jordin Hale made seven saves and three steals, while allowing nine goals.

On defense, Iona made 11 steals with three each from Stewart and freshman Maeve Wydan. The Gaels drew two Otters exclusions, while being ejected six times. Iona went 1-2 on man-up chances, and Monterey Bay made 2-4 .The Gaels turned the ball over 14 times.

Rockett put Iona on the board first during the Gaels initial possession with 55 seconds gone in the match. Van Reeken gave Iona a two-goal lead 2-0 just 51 ticks later on the Gaels' next trip down the pool. The Otters cut the Gaels lead to one 2-1 with 44 seconds left in the opening quarter.

Monterey Bay opened the second period with two unanswered goals, including a five-meter penalty shot, to tie the score, then go up 3-2 with 5:33 remaining. 21 seconds later, Van Reeken converted a five-meter penalty shot to knot the game at three. The Otters needed only 20 seconds to go back up one 4-3, followed by another unanswered score for a two-goal edge 5-3 with 3:09 on the clock. Schultz cut the Otters lead to one 5-4 with 1:06 to intermission.

With 2:17 gone in the third quarter, Schultz fired home a rebound to knot the game for the third time, this time at 5-5. On their next possession, the Otters regained a one-goal edge, until Van Reeken's third score retied the game at six only 16 ticks later with 4:30 left.

Neither squad scored for the next seven minutes until the Otters went back up one 7-6 with 5:19 remaining in regulation. After Monterey Bay converted a man-up chance, Schultz's lob cut the Otters lead back to one 8-7 with 3:54 on the clock, but Monterey Back answered 29 ticks later for a two-goal edge 9-7 to seal the win.

Disappointed with losing all four tournament games, two against nationally ranked teams, this weekend, Iona head coach Brian Kelly was confident that his young squad will learn from the experience. "You have to really grind when you are playing four games in a weekend, especially on the second day," Kelly said. "We left a lot of plays in the water that we should have finished.  We'll work harder and work from this." 

The Gaels travel to Princeton on Saturday to face the Tiger at 10 a.m. and Brown at 3 p.m.