PRINCETON, NJ – After yesterday's hard-fought loss to Brown University, the fifth-seeded Iona men's water polo team won its second-round match in a 15-7 victory this morning over seventh seeded Connecticut College at DeNunzio Pool in the Northeast Water Polo Conference Championships hosted by Princeton University.

GAME SUMMARY

Freshman Luksa Vlasic and freshman Nathan Mendes led the Gaels with three goals each, while senior co-captain Michael Feeley, junior Timothy Bergamini and sophomore Andrew Miller had two scores apiece. Junior Mohamed Refaat, sophomore Trippe Bauman and freshman William Harrington each scored a goal. The Gaels scored 15 goals on 29 shots and had nine assists with two each from senior co-captain Justin Ginsberg and Miller.

In goal, junior Kyle Laufenberg made nine saves on 18 Connecticut shots and four steals with seven goals against.  
On defense, Iona made 16 steals with two each by Bergamini, Harrington and Mendes, while Ginsberg blocked one shot. Iona drew ten Connecticut kickouts with two each from Refaat and freshman Adian Finkler, while being ejected five times. The Gaels turned the ball over 14 times. Iona scored on three of ten man-up chances, while the Camels did not score on five chances. 

With 1:07 gone in the match, Vlasic put Iona on the board first with a five-meter penalty goal, followed by Feeley for a 2-0 Iona edge with 6:27 left in the opening period.  Continuing a 5-0 Gaels run with scores by Refaat on a man-up chance, Bauman and Vlasic, Iona led 5-0 at the 4:40 mark, as the Camels called time out.  

On the Gaels next possession, Harrington added another Iona score for a 6-0 Gaels cushion going into the second period. Following Mendes' man-up goal, the Camels scored to cut Gaels' edge to 7-1 with 4:54 to go in the second quarter. After Connecticut tacked on another goal, Miller put Iona back up six 8-2 with 2:02 remaining. The Camels found the back of the net again, but Vlasic's third score gave the Gaels a 9-3 halftime lead.

In the third quarter, neither squad scored until Feeley's second goal put Iona up seven 10-3 with 5:30 on the clock.  After Miller's second goal, the Camels trimmed the Gaels' edge back to seven 11-4 with 3:13 to go. On the Gaels next possession, Mendes recorded a hat trick, but the Camels answered as Iona led 13-5 with 55 ticks left. Bergamini's goal 20 seconds later gave Iona a nine-goal 14-5 advantage going into the final period. With Bergamini's second score, Iona went up ten 15-5 with 47 seconds gone in the final period. Despite two unanswered Camels scores in the fourth minute, the Gaels held on for the 15-7 win.

UP NEXT

Iona will take on the sixth-seeded Massachusetts Institute of Technology tomorrow at 9 a.m. to wrap up its 2021 season.

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