BROOKLYN, NY – The Iona College women's water polo team split a pair of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference games on Sunday. No. 18 Wagner controlled the Gaels in the opener, but the Maroon & Gold regained composure and earned a strong final victor against La Salle.
GAME ONE: No. 18 Wagner 16, Iona 5
Wagner jumped out to an 8-1 after the opening period. The Seahawks scored the first six goals of the game with their Jacqui Sjogren collecting a hat trick in the opening 4:30 minutes. Iona's rookie
Jillian Schultz ended the cold spell with her first goal of the game six minutes in.
The following periods followed with increased defensive intensity. There was one goal scored in the second quarter by Wagner's Malia Josephson. Schultz and fellow rookie
Brianna Erickson each scored once in the third quarter.
Trailing entering the fourth by a 13-3 margin, Schultz scored the Maroon & Gold's first of two goals in the quarter. With 51 seconds left, freshman
Malia Naugle put one home into the cage to close Iona's scoring on the day.
Overall in the game, the Seahawks had a shooting percentage of .432 in the game compared to .278 for the Gaels. Iona was more than doubled up on shots, 37-18. Both teams executed one penalty shot successfully.
Schultz concluded the game with three goals on four shots. Sophomore
Jordan Van Reeken led the Gaels with two assists. Erickson and Naugle each rattled the nylon once. Sophomore
Erika Wimmer had one additional assist.
Redshirt junior
Jordin Hale made eight saves and had two steals in the cage.
Wagner had six players score goals. Erica Hardy and Sjogren each had four scores. Hardy added in three assists and four steals. Sofia Diaz Alvarez finished with four steals, two goals and two assists. Daisy Nankervis collected two goals and two assists.
GAME TWO: Iona 17, La Salle 9
The Explorers scored first 24 seconds into the game, but Schultz knotted the game 21 seconds later and the Maroon & Gold wouldn't look back. The rookie scored Iona's first four goals of the game. Iona led at the end of the first quarter, 4-2.
The Gaels highest scoring quarter was the second. Rookie
Maeve Wydan scored the first of five goals in the period on an assist from Schultz. She'd be followed by Van Reeken and
Laura Rockett. With Iona leading 7-6, Schultz got back on the goal-scoring train and she netted two straight to supply her team with a 9-6 edge.
The Gaels scored the first two goals in the second half and maintained a 13-8 lead entering the final quarter. Hopes of a comeback were quelled for the Explorers quickly and they never not any closer than six goals over the final eight minutes. Iona scored the final three goals of the match.
Schultz ended with six goals on nine shots. She contributed three assists to finish with nine points. Rockett fired home a hat trick and freshman
Karsyn Stewart and Wydan each tallied a pair. Wydan also swiped a sneaky three steals.
Hale made seven saves in the cage and had two steals. She faced 21 total shots.
The Gaels were excluded 11 times in the contest but La Salle only capitalized on three of the chances. Iona drew just two exclusions and went 1-for-2 on their power plays.
La Salle was led offensively by Madison Martinez's three goals on six shots. She also had two assists. Jillian Delisle scored two goals along with Sarah Defuso.
COACH KELLY THOUGHTS
Pleased with this weekend's three conference wins, Iona head coach
Brian Kelly praised his squad's growth over the season as the MAAC Tournament approaches.
"We've had back-to-back strong weekends going six and two," Kelly said. "We're a far better team than we were in January, but we still have a-ways to go to do some damage at the tournament
UP NEXT
Iona plays in its final regular season weekend beginning on Saturday, Apr. 13. The Gaels play a pair against VMI and St. Francis Brooklyn to open it in Philadelphia, PA before a crucial contest with the Marist Red Foxes on Sunday. All games will be played at Kirk Pool.
The 2019 MAAC Championship begins on Saturday, Apr. 27 in Poughkeepsie, NY on the campus on Marist College in McCann Natatorium.
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