LEXINGTON, VA – Less than 14 hours after a heart-breaking defeat to Villanova, the Iona women's water polo team responded with two victories over La Salle and Siena to improve to 2-2 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

GAME 1 | Iona 15, La salle 8

Iona put together a full-team effort in the opening contest against La Salle, leading for a majority of the match in a 15-8 victory over the Explorers.
 
On the offensive end, Van Reeken scored a game-best six goals on eight shots.  The Gaels received two tallies each from Rockett, Naugle, and Schultz. Hernandez, Tovar, and Hensley scored once.

Defensively, Iona grabbed 13 steals in the game. In net, Jordin Hale stopped 13 Explorers shots.
 
The Maroon & Gold fell behind in the first minute of action, but Laura Rockett and Carli Tovar put the Gaels ahead. With 2:30 to play, La Salle tied the score and team teams took a 2-2 tie to the first break.
 
In the second quarter, Jordan Van Reeken and Jillian Schultz cashed in on opportunities to put Iona up a pair with 6:28 to plain the half. Van Reeken's next tally came sandwiched between La Salle tallies and Malia Naugle found the back of the net with 4:14 left in the half to give the Gaels a 6-4 advantage. Iona continued to roll scoring two more, aided by Rockett and Taylor Hensley. With 37 ticks left in the half, La Salle pulled back within three, as Iona took an 8-5 lead into the break.
 
Iona scored six of the next seven goals. Danielle Hernandez followed another Van Reeken tally and Schultz put Iona up six with 2:34 to play in the third. The La Salle squad was able to put one past Jordin Hale with 1:03 remaining but Van Reeken scored again with 31 seconds to give Iona a 12-6 lead heading to the fourth quarter.
 
Van Reeken added to the Iona lead with two more goals in the fourth and Hensley scored the game's final tally in the closing seconds.

GAME 2 | iona 13, siena 9

Siena scored the first two goals of the game, but Iona responded with three unanswered goals, all within the final 1:37 of the quarter to lead 3-2 after eight minutes. Schultz's first goal was followed by Hernandez and Schultz cashed in on Iona's final possession with 16 ticks remaining.
 
Iona outscored the Saints 4-2 in the second quarter, receiving goals two goals from Schutlz, and one each from Tovar and Van Reeken.
 
The Maroon & Gold were held off the scoreboard for the first two minutes of the third quarter as Siena pulled back within two, 7-5. With 5:57 left in the third quarter, Iona went on a 3-0 run led by a goal by Erika Wimmer and two more from Van Reeken. The Saints answered scoring three of the next four, with Iona's goal coming from Schultz.
 
Iona's defense held strong in the fourth quarter, with the Saints scoring only one goal, coming with 2:04 remaining in regulation. Tovar and Rockett completed the Iona scoring.
 
For the game, Schultz scored a game-high four goals on seven shots, added an assist and drew four exclusions. Van Reeken and Tovar each tallied a hat trick and Van Reeken added five drawn exclusions and four steals.
 
In net, Jordin Hale made seven saves, grabbed two steals and had one assist.

UP NEXT

Iona continues MAAC play next weekend with games against St. Francis Brooklyn, Marist and VMI.

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