SANTA BARBARA, CA - After dropping today's first match 17-7 to no. 16-ranked San Jose University, the Iona women's water polo team earned its first win of the 2022 season with a 16-11 victory over Ottawa University Arizona at the Winter Invite hosted this weekend by the University of California Santa Barbara.

#16 San Jose State 17 Iona 7

Facing its third top-20 teams in as many matches, the Iona women's water polo team lost 17-7 to no.16-ranked San Jose State University in this afternoon's first match. Graduate student Jordan van Reeken led the Maroon and Gold with two goals, while senior Maeve Ellen Wydan, junior Mia Tovar, sophomore Kaya Hart, freshman Addison Collins and freshman Remy Ickes scored one goal apiece. The Gaels scored seven goals on 27 shots and made five assists with two from Wydan.

In goal, freshman Mary Jane Bailey made five saves on 29 San Jose State shots and two steals with 17 goals against. On defense, Iona made four steals and blocked two shots. Iona drew 15 Spartans kick-outs with five by graduate student Laura Rockett, while being ejected nine times. The Gaels turned the ball over 11 times. Iona scored three of 15 man-up chances, while San Jose State scored six goals on eight chances.
 
With 1:44 gone in the match, the Spartans began a three-goal run for a 3-0 lead with 2:35 left in the opening period.   San Jose State tacked on another score with 42 ticks remaining to go ahead 4-0 going into the second quarter as Iona failed to score in the first quarter on eight shots.

After another Spartan score 45 seconds into the second quarter, Hart got Iona on the board to trim the San Jose State edge to four 5-1 at the 6:46 mark. The Spartans converted a five-meter penalty shot, then van Reeken did the same for Iona to pull the Gaels back within four 6-2 with 3:37 on clock. On Iona's next possession Tovar took advantage of a man-up chance to cut the San Jose State advantage to three 6-3 with 2:29 to go. A Spartan score with 17 ticks left gave San Jose State a 7-3 halftime lead.

San Jose State reeled off three straight scores, including a man-up goal, before van Reeken's second goal reduced the Spartan lead to 10-4 with 4:30 on the clock. Three more unanswered San Jose State scores in the closing 3:43 gave the Spartans a 13-4 cushion going into the final period.

The Spartans opened the fourth quarter with two more scores until Wydan's man-up goal sliced the San Jose State lead to ten 15-5 with 4:28 left in regulation. After Ickes and Collins scored their first Gaels goals, the Spartans added two more scores in the closing two minutes to seal the win.

Iona 16 Ottawa Arizona 11

After letting a four-goal lead slip to one by the start of the fourth quarter, the Gaels rallied with four goals, while holding Ottawa scoreless, to earn Iona's first victory of the 2022 season in a 16-11 win in today's second match.
Senior Sydney Brightenburg led the Gaels with four goals on five shots, while Van Reeken and Wydan scored three each.  Graduate student Danielle Hernandez and senior Malia Naugle scored twice.  Graduate student Laura Rockett, senior Karsyn Stewart had one goal apiece. The Gaels scored 16 goals on 32 shots and made eight assists with three from Wydan. 

In goal, Bailey made seven saves on 24 Ottawa shots, including blocking a five-meter penalty shot, and one steals with 11 goals against. On defense, Iona made 10 steals with three each from Naugle and Hernandez and blocked three shots with two by sophomore Kaya Hart.  Iona drew eight Spirit kickouts with four by Rockett, while being ejected nine times. The Gaels turned the ball over five times. Iona scored four of eight man-up chances, while Ottawa scored two goals on eight chances. 

With 43 seconds gone in the match, Wydan put Iona on the board first, but Ottawa answered on its next possession to knot the score at one with 7:02 remaining. Wydan's second score gave the Gaels a one-goal edge 2-1 with 5:02 on the clock, but the Spirit re-tied the score at two each on its next trip down the pool. Brightenburg's first Gael goal put Iona back up one 3-2, until Ottawa knotted the match for the third time at three each with 2:48 left. On the Gaels next possession, Brightenburg struck again as Iona regained the lead 4-3 at the 2:07 mark.

Van Reeken upped the Gaels advantage to two 5-3, followed by Naugle's goal for a 6-3 Iona lead at the 4:43 mark.   After Ottawa answered to pull within two 6-4, Hernandez found the back of the net to restore Iona's three-goal edge 7-4 with 3:21 to halftime. Twenty seconds later, the Spirit answered to close within two 7-5. After Hernandez's second score, Brightenburg's five-meter bullet put Iona up four 9-5 with 1:47 to intermission. An Ottawa man-up goal with 12 ticks left cut the Iona advantage back to three 9-6 at halftime.

Chipping away at the Iona lead, Ottawa continued a 3-0 run to pull within one 9-8 with 3:22 left in the third quarter.   Brightenburg's fourth score, followed by Stewart, put Iona back up three 11-8 with 2:32 to go. After the Spirit answered, van Reeken's second goal gave the Gaels a 12-9 edge with 1:47 on the clock. Despite Bailey stopping a five-meter penalty shot, Ottawa struck twice in the final minute to slice the Iona cushion to one 12-11 going into the fourth period.

With 1:10 gone in the fourth period, van Reeken hit her third goal to boost the Iona edge back to two 13-11. In the closing 3:21, Rockett, Wydan and Naugle increased the Gaels advantage to five 16-11 to preserve Iona's first win of the season, while holding Ottawa scoreless in the final frame.

UP NEXT

On Saturday, the Gaels travel to the Villanova Invitational to face Harvard University at noon ET and host Villanova University at 3 p.m. ET.

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