Men's Water Polo 11/6/2022 8:56:00 PM Jack Breslin / Garrett Murray - Assistant Director of Athletic Communications

Iona Water Polo Ends Regular Season With Win

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

PROVIDENCE, RI - The Iona University men's water polo team wrapped up its regular season with a 12-8 loss to Brown University and a 16-8 win over Connecticut College in two Northeast Water Polo Conference road matches.

Brown 12 Iona 8

Trailing by a single goal late in the third period, Iona failed to rally in a 12-8 road conference loss to Brown this afternoon, Junior co-captain Andrew Miller and sophomore Luksa Vlasic led the Gaels with two goals each. Senior co-captain Mohamed Refaat, junior Trippe Bauman, sophomore Edward Howaniec and freshman Sole Fratila each scored one goal. Iona scored eight goals on 25 shots with seven assists with two each from Miller and Refaat.

In goal, senior Kyle Laufenberg had 18 saves on 30 Brown shots, including stopping two five-meter penalty shots, two steals, and 12 goals against. On defense, the Maroon and Gold made seven steals with two by Miller. Vlasic blocked one shot. Iona drew 16 Brown kickouts with five by junior James DiSalle, while being ejected six times, including three five-meter ejections. The Gaels turned the ball over 17 times. Iona scored six man-up goals on 16 opportunities, while Brown made three man-up goals on six chances.

With 1:08 gone in the opening period, the Bears struck first, then followed with a second score 1:23 later for a 2-0 lead with 4:37 left. After Laufenberg smothered a five-meter penalty shot, Howaniec capitalized on a man-up chance to slice the Brown edge to one 2-1 with 2:21 on the clock. Bauman did the same to tie the game at two with 1:33 remaining. With eight seconds left, Brown retook a one-goal advantage 3-2 going into the second period.

Laufenberg opened the second period with another five-meter penalty shot, but Refaat failed to convert one at the other end of the pool with 2:38 left. Continuing a 3-0 run, Brown scored two straight goals in the closing 1:35, including a five-meter penalty shot, then Vlasic's man-up goal with four seconds to go sliced the home cushion to two 5-3 at halftime.

In the third period, Iona outscored Brown 3-2. With 38 seconds gone in the third period, Brown went up three 6-3. Vlasic drew and scored a five-meter penalty shot with 5:53 left to get the Gaels back within two 6-4. Miller's man-up score sliced the home edge to one 6-5 with 4:31 to go. A Bears breakaway goal at the 1:48 mark put the hosts back up two 7-5. After Fratila's score cut the Brown edge to one 6-5, the Bears answered with 1:08 left for a 8-6 advantage going into the final period.

On a 3-0 run, Brown scored two straight goals for a 10-6 cushion with 3:34 left in regulation. Just 20 ticks later, Refaat pulled Iona within three 10-7. The Bears answered for a 11-7 advantage with 2:25 remaining. After Miller's second score chopped the home lead to three, Brown regained a four-goal edge at the 1:46 mark to seal the win.

Iona 16 Connecticut 8

With the entire squad seeing action and 12 Gaels scoring, Iona ended its regular season with a 16-8 road conference 16-8 over Connecticut College this evening. Graduate co-captain Justin Ginsberg, sophomore Edward Howaniec, sophomore Aidan Finkler, and Fratila led the Gaels with two goals each. Bauman, sophomore William Harrington, sophomore Luka Nastic, Vlasic, freshman Edward Imm, freshman Rastko Jevdjovic, freshman Matthew Mischlich, freshman Schuyler Newberger.

Iona scored 16 goals on 16 shots with 11 assists with two from sophomore Jack Folan. In goal, senior Kyle Laufenberg had five saves on ten Connecticut shots, three steals, two assists and two goals against in the first half. Freshman Aleksandar Slavkovic had three saves on nine Connecticut shots, two steals, one assist and six goals against in the second half,

On defense, the Maroon and Gold made 21 steals with three each by Jevdjovic and Nastic. Iona blocked four shots. Iona drew nine Connecticut kickouts with two each by Vlasic and freshman Cody Scanlon, including two five-meter ejections, while being ejected seven times, including x five-meter ejections. The Gaels turned the ball over 12 times. Iona scored four man-up goals on nine opportunities, while Connecticut made four man-up goals on seven chances.

With 1;19 gone in the match, Ginsberg put Iona on the board for a 1-0 edge, then struck again to put the Gaels up 2-0 with 4:39 remaining in the opening period. Two straight Iona goals from Fratila continued a 4-0 run until Connecticut scored with 24 seconds left to trim the Gaels lead to three 4-1. Mischlich and Harrington tacked on another Gaels goal for a 5-1 Iona lead going into the second period.

Vlasic opened the second period with a man-up goal just 1:10 gone for a 6-1 Iona lead. On a 3-0 Iona run, Flinker put the Gaels up six 7-1 at the 3:47 mark. Two more Iona scores from Harrington and Finkler resulted in a 9-1 Iona margin with 1:18 on the clock. With 52 ticks remaining, the Camels scored in a man-up chance to cut the Gaels advantage to seven 9-1 at halftime.

Two straight Connecticut scores in the opening 1:26 of the third period pulled the Camels within five 9-4 until Jevdjovic's score put Iona back up six 10-4 with 6:08 on the clock. Following a Camels goal, Newberger's five-meter penalty score followed by Bauman's goal increased the Gaels margin to seven 12-5 with 2:12 going into the final period.

Two straight Camels scores, including a man-up goal, reduced the Gaels edge to five 12-7 with 4:45 remaining in regulation. Iona answered with three unanswered goals – one from Imm and two from Howaniec – to a 15-7 advantage with 2:46 to go. In the closing minute, Nastic answered a Camels score to seal the win.

COACH THOUGHTS

With "a lot of excellent moments" during all four conference road games this weekend, Iona head coach Brian Kelly anticipates a strong performance by his squad in the upcoming conference championships. "We had a lot of excellent moments all weekend to help prepare us for championships," Kelly said. "To help prepare us for championships. The NEWPC championships is a three-game tournament where anything can happen. We'll be one hundred percent prepared."

UP NEXT

Iona returns to Providence for the Northeast Water Polo Conference Championship from November 18-20.

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