ANN ARBOR, MI – After dropping a hard-fought match to number-seven ranked University of Michigan, the Iona women's water polo team notched a victory with a win over St. Francis University (PA) at the Wolverine Invitational hosted here by the University of Michigan.
GAME ONE:Â Michigan 14, Iona 6
Down just one goal 3-2 after the first period, the Gaels could only manage four more scores the rest of the match in a 14-6 loss to the number-seven ranked host Michigan. Juniors Danielle Hernandez, Kate Schmitt, Jordan van Reeken, Maeve Wydan, sophomore Karsyn Stewart, and freshman Mia Tovar scored one goal each for the Gaels. Iona had six goals on 25 shots. Van Reeken assisted on two goals.
In goal, red-shirt senior Jordin Hale had ten saves on 25 Wolverine shots and four steals. On defense, the Gaels made seven steals with two by junior Aubree Fuher. Iona drew eight Michigan kick outs with three by Van Reeken, while being ejected seven times. The Maroon & Gold scored once on eight man-up chances, and the Wolverines had four goals on five man-up opportunities.
With 1:46 gone in the match, the hosts scored on a five-meter penalty shot, but Hernandez knotted the game at one on the Gaels next possession with 6:13 left in the opening period. Michigan answered 14 seconds later to go back up one 2-1. Schmidt re-tied the score at two with 2:32 remaining. Just 1:18 later, the Wolverines capitalized on a man-up chance for a 3-2 edge going into the second period.
When Hale was ejected, Michigan hit a man-up goal for a two-score lead at 33 seconds into the second quarter. But Van Reeken answered with 4:59 left to slice the home lead to one 4-3. In the closing 3:17, Michigan reeled off three straight goals, including a man-up score with 17 ticks remaining, for a 7-3 halftime lead.
Wydan chopped the Michigan lead to three 7-4 with 1:56 gone in the third period until Michigan's man-up score put the hosts back up four 8-4 at the 4:42 mark. The Wolverines struck again on a 6-4 advantage with 2:14 remaining for a five-goal 9-4 lead going into the final period.
Just 18 ticks into the final period, Michigan took a six-goal lead 10-4 on a man-up score. Stewart's 6-on-5 goal with 5:33 got Iona within five 10-5, but two unanswered goals in the next two minutes restored the host's seven-score edge 12-5. After Tovar's lob trimmed the home squad's edge to six 12-6 with 2:45 remaining, two more Michigan goals sealed the Wolverines win.
GAME TWO: Iona 10, Saint Francis (PA) 6
With Tovar recording her first Gael hat trick with three goals on three shots and the team's strong defensive effort, Iona rebounded with a 10-6 win over St. Francis (PA) in this afternoon's match. Hernandez and Wydan scored two goals apiece, while juniors Laura Rockett, Malia Naugle and Stewart had one goal each. Iona scored 10 goals on 21 shots, and had five assists.
In goal, Hale made six saves on 12 Red Flash shots and three steals. On defense, the Gaels made six steals, while limiting the Red Flash to 12 shots on goal. Iona drew six St. Francis kickouts with three by Van Reeken, while being ejected nine times. The Maroon & Gold scored on five of six man-up chances and the Red Flash capitalized on four of nine man-up opportunities.
With 45 seconds gone in the match, St. Francis struck first on 6-on-4 advantage with Hale ejected. On the Gaels first possession, Hernandez evened the score at one apiece with 6:49 left in the opening period. Hernandez struck again just 42 ticks later to give Iona its first lead 2-1, but St. Francis converted another man-up chance to tie the score at two with 5:41 remaining. Iona retook the lead 3-2 on Rockett's goal with 2:59 on the clock, then went up two 4-2 when Tovar scored 58 ticks later.
In the second period, Iona outscored St. Francis 3-1. The Gaels took a three-goal edge 5-2 with 1:09 gone when Wydan slammed home a rebound from Hernandez's blocked shot. The Red Flash answered 1:01 later to pull within two 5-3. Tovar's second score restored Iona's three-goal advantage 6-3 at the 3:52 mark. Capitalizing on a man-up chance, Stewart upped the Iona lead to four with 2:12 remaining for a 7-3 halftime lead.
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Neither squad scored in the third quarter until Naugle increased the Gael edge to five 8-3, but the Red Flash answered on a man-up chance on its next possession. Iona swam back down the pool and retook a five-goal lead 9-4 on Wydan's second goal with 3:16 left. With 1:50 remaining, St. Francis got back within four 9-5 until Tovar earned first her college career hat trick 1:02 later to give Iona a 10-5 advantage going into the final period.
With 5:36 to go in the fourth quarter, St. Francis sliced the lead to four 10-6 on the period's only score. Thirty-two ticks later, St. Francis nearly got within three, but Hale stopped a Red Flash penalty shot to seal with Gael win.
COACH THOUGHTS
After yesterday's disappointing losses, Iona head coach Brian Kelly was pleased with his squad's improved performance "on both sides of the pool."
"We had a consistent team defensive effort," Kelly said. "I was really happy with the effort against Michigan's high-powered offense. We were able to bring that into the St. Francis University game. Overall, Jordin Hale was outstanding. We had some big-time contributions on both sides of the pool from Dani Hernandez and Mia Tovar who really stepped up today.
UP NEXT
The Gaels travel to Cambridge, MA, next Saturday for two matches against Salem University and Brown University at the Harvard Invite.
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