PHILADELPHIA, PA - After opening its 2021 season with Metro Atlantic Athletic Conferences wins over the Virginia Military Institute and Siena College, the Iona women's water polo team lost two MAAC road matches today against LaSalle and Villanova.
GAME ONE La Salle 17 Iona 12
After failing to score until the second quarter, Iona rallied within three goals late in the third period, but fell to LaSalle 17-12 this morning at LaSalle University's Joseph C. Kirk Pool.
Freshman Kaya Hart led the Gaels with four goals, while senior and newly reelected Iona Student Government President Maeve Wydan had three scores and senior Laura Rockett had two. Senior Danielle Hernandez, senior Malia Naugle and freshman Amelia Gonzales scored one goal each. The Gaels had 12 goals on 31 shots with five assists.
In goal, senior Kate Schmitt made nine saves and one steal. On defense, Iona made four steals and blocked one LaSalle shot. The Gaels forced 14 Explorers kickouts with three each from Wydan and Hernandez, while being ejected eight times. Iona scored on three of six man-up chances, while LaSalle capitalized on two of six. The Gaels turned the ball over 13 times.
With 38 seconds gone in the match, the Explorers struck first on a 6-5 advantage, then hit two unanswered goals for a 3-0 lead with 4:12 remaining. In the closing 1:14, LaSalle netted two more goals for a 5-0 advantage going into the second quarter as the Maroon & Gold failed to score in the opening period.
The hosts opened the second period with another man-up goal for a 6-0 with 28 seconds gone. Hernandez finally got Iona on the board with 5:34 on the clock to trim the LaSalle edge to five 6-1. The Explorers answered 1:42 later, but Hart's goal with 2:36 left got the Gaels back within five 7-2. Hart's second score with 44 ticks left cut the home advantage to four 7-3 at intermission.
LaSalle hit two consecutive goals in the opening 1:26 of the third quarter to go back up six 9-3. Wydan cut the home edge back to five 9-4 with 5:20 on the clock, but on their next trip down the pool, the Explorers answered. Beginning a three-goal Iona run, Rockett found the back of the net, followed by Wydan's second score and Hart's third goal as the Gaels pulled within three 10-7 with 2:44 left. In the closing 2:18, LaSalle hit two straight scores for a 12-7 edge going into the final period.
LaSalle continued a 3-0 run with 28 seconds gone for a 13-7 lead. On Iona's next possession, Gonzales' first Gael goal cut the Explorers edge to five 13-8 at the 7:10 mark. After the Explorers scored, two straight Gael goals from Wydan and Rockett pulled Iona within four 14-10 with 3:37 left. The hosts tacked on two more goals before Naugle and Hart trimmed the LaSalle edge back to four 16-12 with 42 seconds remaining in regulation, but a last-second Explorers score sealed the hosts' win.
GAME TWO Villanova 20 Iona 8
After coming from behind to briefly take a one-goal lead on a first-quarter 3-0 run, Iona dropped this afternoon match 20-8 to host Villanova University.
Rockett and Naugle led Iona with two scores, while senior Aubree Fuher, Gonzales, Hernandez and Wydan had one goal each. Iona scored eight goals on 29 shots and had three assists with two from senior
Carli Tovar.
In goal, Schmidt made five saves and had 13 goals against, and Hart had seven goals against. On defense, Iona made six steals with three by Wydan and one blocked shot by Hernandez. The Gaels forced 12 Wildcat kickouts with four by Rockett and three by Hart, while being ejected 12 times. Hart was disqualified with three ejections. The Maroon & Gold scored on one of 12 man-up chances, while Villanova capitalized on five of 12. The Gaels turned the ball over 12 times.Â
In the opening 1:25 of the Wildcats reeled off two straight scores for a 2-0 lead until Nagle pulled the Gaels within one 2-1 with 6:09 left in the first period. That sparked a 3-0 Iona run with goals by Rockett and Gonzales as the Gaels tied the match, then took a 3-2 lead with 2:12 on the clock. The Wildcats answered with two straight scores for a 4-3 edge going into the second period.
The hosts continued a 5-0 run into the second quarter to take a four-goal 7-3 lead with 4:18 remaining. Wydan ended the Gaels offensive drought with 2:30 left to trim the Wildcat advantage to three 7-4. Villanova scored on a man-up chance with 40 ticks remaining for an 8-4 halftime advantage.
With Hart replacing Schmidt in goal for the third quarter, the Wildcats continued a 6-0 run to up their lead to nine 13-4 with 1:50 remaining. Two straight Gaels goals from Rockett and Fuher and one Wildcat score in the final 56 seconds gave the hosts a 15-6 advantage going into finale period. Forty-eight ticks into the final period, Naugle's second score got Iona back within eight 15-7. After five straight Wildcats scores, Hernandez found the back of the net with 45 seconds left.Â
UP NEXT
Iona faces MAAC rival Marist College at 7 p.m. Thursday at Hynes Pool. On Saturday, the Gaels travel to Poughkeepsie for an 11 a.m. match against the Red Foxes, then north to Siena to take on the Saints at 4 p.m.
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