ERIE, PA – After opening its 2023 season with a 13-6 win against Mercyhurst University, the Iona women's water polo team fell in the last second 16-15 to Bucknell University in the Curtis Robinette Memorial Tournament at the David M. Hallman III Aquatics Center hosted this weekend by Mercyhurst.
Iona 13 Mercyhurst 6
After one first-quarter tie and lead change, Iona outscored Mercyhurst the rest of the way, including a 6-0 run in the second half, to notch its first season win with a 13-6 victory this morning.
MAAC Preseason selection and co-captain graduate student Jordan Van Reeken, graduate student Sydney Brightenburg and sophomore Jenna Handali in her Iona debut led the Maroon and Gold with three goals each. Co-captain graduate student Malia Naugle, junior Kaya Hart, sophomore Addison Collins, freshman Sadie Sallas had one goal apiece. The Gaels scored 13 goals on 34 shots and made 10 assists with two each from Brightenburg, graduate student Karsyn Stewart and junior Amelia Gonzales.
In goal, freshman Lola Trujillo made three saves on eight Lakers shots in the first and third quarters, made one steal with four goals against, and freshman Sadie Sallas made five saves on eight Lakers shots in the second and fourth quarters with two goals against. On defense, Iona made 20 steals with four each by Gonzales and Van Reeken, and blocked four Lakers shots with two by Handali. Iona drew seven Mercyhurst kick outs and one five-meter ejection with five by Van Reeken while being ejected six times with one five-meter ejection. The Gaels turned the ball over 12 times. Iona scored one goal on seven woman-up chances, while the Lakers scored one goal on six man-up opportunities. Iona won three of four swim-offs.
After the hosts got on the board first with 3:08 gone in the match, Brightenburg tied the match at one on the season's first goal with 4:13 left in the opening period. Just 46 seconds later, Sallas followed with her first Iona score to give Iona a 2-0 edge. Handali's first Gael goal continued a 3-0 run for a two-goal 3-1 advantage with 2:29 on the clock. The Lakers pulled within one 3-2 on a man-up goal at the 46-second mark going into the second period.
The Gaels tacked on two straight scores from Van Reeken and Handali for a 5-2 lead with 5:42 remaining in the second quarter. After a Mercyhurst score, Handali's third goal put Iona back up three 6-3 with 4:13 to go. Van Reeken's second score restored a three-goal Gaels advantage with 1:30 remaining for a 7-4 Iona halftime lead.
Two unanswered Lakers goals in the opening 44 seconds of the third quarter cut the Gaels edge back to one 7-6. Brightenburg's second goal on a breakaway upped the Iona lead to two 8-6 with 5:37 to go.
With one tick on the shot clock, Naugle's lob increased the Gaels edge to three 9-6 at the 3:36 mark. Collins continued Iona's 3-0 run for a 10-6 Gaels advantage with 2:21 on the clock. Van Reeken's third score with 4:50 left in the fourth quarter gave Iona a five-goal 11-6 edge. On a 6-0 Iona run, two unanswered scores by Brightenburg and Hart in the closing 2:40 sealed the Gaels first season win 13-6 as the Lakers did not score in the final period.
Bucknell 16 Iona 15
After trailing for most of a "hard-fought contest," the Gaels tied the score with 44 seconds left, but a last-second Bisons shot ended Iona's 9-7 second-half rally in a 16-15 loss to Bucknell this afternoon.
Van Reeken led the Gaels with six goals on nine shots, while Brightenburg and Handali both scored twice. Naugle, Hart, Gonzales, Trujillo and Sallas scored one goal apiece. The Gaels scored 15 goals on 33 shots and made 13 assists with four from Handali and three from Naugle.
In goal, Trujillo made three saves on eight Bisons shots, including a five-meter penalty shot block, in the second quarter, with three goals against. Sallas made eight saves on 18 Bisons shots, including stopping a last-minute five-meter penalty shot, and one steal in the first, second and fourth quarters with 13 goals against. On defense, Iona made 12 steals with six by Van Reeken and four by Handali, and blocked three Bisons shots. Iona drew six Bucknell kickouts and two five-meter ejections, while being ejected seven times with four five-meter ejections. The Gaels turned the ball over 10 times and forced seven Bucknell turnovers. Iona scored two goals on six woman-up chances, while Bucknell scored two goals on seven man-up opportunities. Iona won all four swim-offs.
With 1:37 gone in the match, the Bisons struck first, but Trujillo answered to knot the score at one all just 17 ticks later. After a Bucknell goal, Brightenburg capitalized on a 6-5 advantage to retie the game at two apiece with 4:28 to go in the opening quarter. Following Bison's five-meter penalty shot put Bucknell up one 3-2, Gonzales scored as the Gaels pulled even at 3-3 at the 3:11 mark. Two unanswered Bucknell goals in the closing 58 seconds for a 5-3 advantage going into the second period.
Bucknell went up 6-3 on a five-meter penalty score with 58 ticks gone in the second period. Two straight Iona goals by Van Reeken on a five-meter penalty and Sallas pulled the Gaels within one 6-5 with 4:08 left. The Bisons answered with two more scores for an 8-5 edge at the 2:05 mark, then Hendali's score got the Gaels back within two 8-6 just 20 seconds later. A Bisons goal with 1:20 to go gave Bucknell a 9-6 halftime edge as Trujillo stopped a five-meter penalty shot with 39 seconds left.
In the third period, Iona rallied to outscore Bucknell 4-3. With 58 seconds gone, Van Reeken trimmed the Bisons lead to two 9-7 on her second five-meter penalty score. After the Bisons answered, Hart got the Gaels back within two 10-8 with 6:16 on the clock. After two straight Bucknell scores restored a four-goal Bisons edge, Iona tacked on two consecutive goals in the closing 2:45 from Van Reeken and Handali to pull back within two 12-10 going into the final period.
After the Bisons extended their lead back to three with 1:29 gone in the fourth period, two straight Gaels goals from Van Reeken and Brightenburg chopped Bucknell's edge to one 13-12 with 5:35 remaining. Bucknell answered with a five-meter penalty score, but Van Reeken hit her fifth goal to get Iona back within one 14-13 with 3:57 left. Following a Bisons goal, Naugle tossed in a woman-up rebound for a 15-14 score at the 2:03 mark. Following an Iona time out, the Gaels struck again with 44 seconds remaining as Van Reeken's sixth goal floated across the goal line to tie the game at 15 all. Sallas stopped a Bison five-meter penalty attempt with 24 seconds on the clock, but a last-second Bisons shot on a 7-6 advantage found the back of the net to seal the Bucknell win.
COACH THOUGHTS
Despite his disappointment over the last-second Bucknell loss, Iona head coach praised his squad's overall performance, particularly his two freshmen field players substituting in goal. "It's a missed opportunity and a tough way to lose a hard-fought game," Kelly said. "Our goalie was in a position to make the save, but the ball got redirected by a shot block by our own team at the buzzer. "I'm proud of the efforts of Sadie Sallas and Lola Trujillo as field players filling in for our two injured goals."
UP NEXT
On Sunday, the Gaels face Pennsylvania State University Behrend at 9:15 a.m., and Gannon University at 1 p.m.
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