PRINCETON, NJ – Down just one goal with 6:16 left to play, the Iona women's water polo team gave up four straight fourth-quarter goals in a 10-7 loss to no. 24-ranked Bucknell University despite tying the score four times in the first of three non-conference matches this week at the Princeton Invite hosted by Princeton University.

GAME SUMMARY

Graduate student Jordan van Reeken led the Maroon and Gold with three goals on six shots, while graduate student Laura Rockett had two scores. Seniors Maeve Wydan and Malia Naugle added one goal each. The Gaels had seven goals on 29 shots and two assists with two by Wydan.

In goal, freshman Mary Jane Bailey made 11 saves 24 Bucknell shots with 10 goals against and two steals. On defense, Iona made 12 steals with three each from van Reeken and Wydan and blocked three shots.  Iona drew six Bison kickouts with two by graduate student Danielle Hernandez and one five-meter penalty shot which van Reeken converted, while being ejected seven times and allowing three five-meter penalty shots. The Gaels turned the ball over ten times.  Iona scored once on six man-up chances, while Bucknell scored on one of seven.

Wydan put Iona on the board first with 1:11 gone in the match, followed by van Reeken's five-meter penalty goal for a 2-0 Gaels lead with 5:57 left in the opening period. The Bears answered with three straight scores, including a five-meter penalty goal, to tie the match at two, then go ahead 3-2 with 1:49 remaining. With 45 seconds left, the Bisons tacked on another score for a 4-2 edge going into the second period.
  
On Iona's first second-quarter possession, Van Reeken needed only 43 seconds to trim Bucknell's advantage back to one 4-3. An Iona man-up goal was waived off on a two-meter violation with a minute left to maintain the Bisons 4-3 lead at halftime. Naugle's score from six meters re-tied the score at four, but Bucknell answered on its next trip down the pool to retake a one-goal edge 5-4 with 5:35 left in the third period.  Rockett capitalized on a man-up chance to tie the game for third time 5-5 at the 2:17 mark. The Bisons snatched the lead back with seven ticks left for a 6-5 edge going into the final period.

Just 52 seconds into the fourth quarter, van Reeken's third goal evened the score at six each, but 1:02 later Bucknell hit a five-meter penalty shot to go back up one 7-6. The Bisons continued on a 4-0 run for a four-goal cushion 10-6 with 2:52 on the clock.  After an Iona timeout, Rockett responded with her second goal to end the Gaels offense drought and pull the Gaels with three 10-7 just 11 ticks later, but Bucknell held on for the win.

COACH THOUGHTS

The team's new assistant coach Jamie Wolff made his Iona debut tonight with his 14 years as a Collegiate Water Polo Association and NCAA referee and 12 years as head coach of Greenwich (CT) Aquatics. Wolff played his college water polo at Pepperdine University from 2005 to 2007.

"Our defensive execution was strong tonight, but we need to continue to work on shooting with a higher percentage," Wolff said. "Five on six defense was a huge plus." 

UP NEXT

On Saturday, the Gaels face St. Francis University (PA) at 2:45 p.m., and Mount St. Mary's University (MD) at 6:30 p.m. Iona received one vote in this week's CWPA 2022 Top 25 Women's Varsity Poll.

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