COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – After dropping a 13-10 decision to Air Force, the Iona University men's water polo team rebounded for its third season a 17-12 victory over the Westcliff University (Irvine, CA) at the 2022 Rare Air Challenge hosted here this weekend by the United States Air Force Academy.

Air Force 13 Iona 10

Down by eight goals at the beginning of the fourth period, the Gaels took off on a five-goal run, but the Iona rally fell short 13-10 to host Air Force in this afternoon's match. Sophomore Luksa Vlasic and junior James DiSalle led the Gaels with two goals apiece. Graduate co-captain Justin Ginsberg, senior co-captain Mohamed Refaat, junior Luksa Vlasic, junior co-captain Andrew Miller, sophomore Edward Howaniec and freshman Matthew Mischlich scored one score each. Iona made 10 goals on 37 shots with seven assists.

In goal, senior Kyle Laufenberg had nine saves on 30 Falcons shots, made one steal and had 13 goals against. On defense, the Maroon and Gold had ten steals and blocked eight shots with two by freshman Coby Scalon. Iona drew 15 Falcons kick outs and one five-meter penalties shot with four ejections drawn by Vlaisic and two by Refaat, while being ejected ten times. Freshman Rastko Jevdjovic was disqualified with three kickouts. The Gaels turned the ball over 14 times.

With 5:09 gone in the match, Air Force got on the board first for a 1-0 lead. After three unanswered Falcons scores, Refaat's goal pulled the Gaels within three 4-1 with :44 seconds left in the opening period. Three more straight Air Force goals, including a 6-5 chance, put the hosts up 7-1 with 4:44 remaining in the second period. Miller capitalized on a man-up opportunity to slice the Air Force edge to six 7-2 at the 2:28 mark. Thirty-eight seconds later, the Falcons answered with their own man-up score to go back up six 8-2. With 32 ticks left, Vlasic stole an Air Force pass, then found the back of the net to narrow the Falcons lead to 8-3 at halftime.

The hosts opened the third period with two consecutive goals for a 10-3 edge with 1:07 gone. Vlasic's second goal got the Gaels back within six 10-4 with 5:25 on the clock. The Falcons answered on their next trip down the pool for a 11-4 cushion just 41 seconds later.  Howaniec's score sliced the Air Force lead back to six 11-5 with 3:33 remaining.   Another Falcons goal at 1:48 gave Air Force a 12-5 advantage going into the final period.

In the fourth quarter, Iona outscored Air Force 5-1. After an Air Force goal, Bauman buried a five-meter penalty shot to cut the host lead back to seven 13-6 with 6:18 left in regulation. Two more straight Iona goals by Mischlich and DiSalle continued a 3-0 Gaels run to get within five 13-8 with 4:38 remaining. Ginsberg's score extended the Gaels' run to 4-0 to close within four 13-9 at the 2:11 mark. With 59 seconds left, DiSalle's second score on a man-up chance marked Iona's fifth straight goal to get Iona within three 13-10, but the Gaels rally fell short as the Falcons ran out the clock.

Iona 17 Westcliff 12

In an evening match featuring seven ties, five lead changes, and a five-all halftime score, Iona outscored Westcliff 12-7 in the second half for the Gaels third season win. Freshman Sole Fatila led the Gaels with 6 goals on 8 shots, while Refaat had four scores.  Miller and junior Trippe Bauman scored twice and Ginsberg, DiSalle, Mischlich each scored one goal. …Iona made 17 goals on 30 shots with 5 assists.

In goal, freshman Aleksandar Slavkovic had 6 saves, including two five-meter penalty stops, on 25 Warriors shots, made 1 steal and had 12 goals against. On defense, the Maroon and Gold had 5 steals and blocked 2 shots. Iona drew 11 Warriors kickouts, while being ejected 12 times.

The Gaels struck first on Refaat's goal just 40 seconds into the match. The Warriors answered to tie the game at one with 6:18 remaining in the opening period. After Slavkovic stopped a Westcliff five-meter penalty shot, the Warriors scored two straight goals to go up two 3-1 with 3:54 left. Bauman needed only 50 seconds to cut the Westcliff lead back to one 3-2. Refaat followed with a five-meter penalty score to re-tie the game at three with 2:12 on the clock. On a five-goal quarter-closing run, the Gaels retook a one-goal lead on Miller's goal with 33 seconds left, then went up two 5-3 with seven ticks left as Refaat hit another five-meter penalty score for this third goal going into the second period.

After Refaat missed his third five-meter penalty chance with 1:10 gone, the Warriors cut the Gaels edge back to one 5-4 at the 4:19 mark. With 1:12 left, Westcliff knotted the match for the third time for a five-all halftime tie on a man-up chance. Iona failed to score in the second period. Just 58 seconds into the third period, Miller's second goal ended the Gaels offensive drought on a man-up score. A Westcliff five-meter penalty goal resulted in the match's fourth tie at six, then the Warriors retook a one-goal 7-6 edge with 5:29 to go. 

After DiSalle re-tied the score at seven, Westcliff answered to go back up one 8-7 with 4:51 on the clock. Fatila took advantage of a 6-5 chance to lock the game at eight with 3:22 remaining. Following a brief one-goal Westcliff lead, Mischlich's goal forced a nine-all tie with 2:06 to go. The Warriors answered on their next possession, but Ginsberg struck on a 6-5 opportunity for a ten-all tie with 1:16 remaining. With six ticks left, Fatila's second goal on a man-up gave Iona a one-goal 11-10 edge going into the final period.

Iona opened the fourth quarter with two five-meter penalty scores by Fatila and Refaat to put Iona up three 13-10 with 1:04 gone. Continuing a five-goal Iona run, Fatila's fourth goal on a man-up chance upped the Gaels cushion to four 14-10 with 6:29 remaining. After Slavkovic stopped another five-meter Warriors penalty shot, two straight Westcliff scores cut the Gaels lead to two 14-12 at the 4:10 mark. The Gaels went back up five 17-12 on three more unanswered goals with two by Fatila and one by Bauman with 1:50 to go to seal Iona's third season win.

UP NEXT

On Saturday, the Gaels face Chapman University at 10:30 a.m. MDT, and University of La Verne at 4:30 p.m. MDT.  On Sunday, Iona takes on University of Redlands at 10:30 a.m. 

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