CAMBRIDGE, MA – After opening the 2023 season with a 16-13 non-conference win over McKendree, the Iona University men's water polo team fell 12-9 to Bucknell in the opening day of the Bruno Classic at Harvard University's Blodgett Pool.
Iona 16, McKendree 13
After two first-period ties, Iona led by at least three goals the rest of the way in a 16-13 season-opening win over McKendree. Senior Andrew Miller led the Maroon & Gold (1-1) with seven goals on ten shots. Senior Trippe Bauman, senior James DiSalle, junior Luksa Vlasic scored two goals each. Junior Luka Nastic, sophomore Rastko Jevdjovic and sophomore Coby Scanlon had one goal apiece. The Gaels made 16 goals on 32 shots with 12 assists, including three each from Bauman and Vlasic.
In goal, sophomore Aleksandar Slavkovic had eight saves on 24 Bearcats shots, made one steal and had 13 goals against. On defense, the Gaels made 12 steals with four from Jevdjovic and had two blocked shots. Iona drew nine McKendree kickouts and two five-meter penalties with three drawn by Vlasic, while being ejected six times. Iona scored three goals on seven man-up chances, while McKendree scored one goal on six man-up opportunities. The Gaels turned the ball over 13 times.
With 2:11 gone in the match, Vlasic got the Gaels on the board, followed by Miller on Iona's next possession for a 2-0 edge with 5:18 remaining in the opening period. The Bearcats answered on their next trip down the pool to trim the Gaels edge to one 2-1, then tied the game at two with 3:31 on the clock. Miller's second score put Iona back up one 3-2 just 16 ticks later. A McKendree score retied the game at three apiece with 2:19 to go.
Miller needed only 29 seconds into the second period to restore the Gaels one-goal edge 4-3. Jevdjovic upped the Iona lead to two 5-3 with 5:28 remaining. Bauman's man-up score gave the Gaels a three-score advantage 6-3 only 1:10 later. Â With 2:29 left, McKendree countered to slice the Iona edge back to two 6-4. Two straight goals in the closing 1:12 from Scanlon and Bauman on five-meter penalty shot gave the Gaels a four-goal 8-4 halftime advantage.
Miller's fourth goal with 28 seconds gone in the third period put Iona up five 9-4. McKendree cut the Iona lead back to four 9-5 with six minutes to go, but the Gaels went back up five 10-5 on Miller's fifth score 17 ticks later. After a Bearcats score, Nastic gave the Gaels a 11-6 edge with 5:02 remaining. In the closing 1:52, three unanswered McKendree scores pulled the Bearcats with three 12-9 going into the final period.
The Gaels went back up four 13-9 on Miller's sixth score on a five-meter penalty shot, but the Bearcats answered on their next chance to slice Iona's edge back to three 13-10 with 1:28 gone in the final period. Two straight scores by DiSalle gave the Gaels five-goal 15-10 lead with 4:22 remaining. Two consecutive McKendree goals cut the Iona edge back to three 15-12 with 2:14 on the clock. After Miller's seventh score, McKendree scored on a man-up chance with Slavkovic ejected to get back within three 16-13 with 58 ticks left, the Iona held on for the win.
Bucknell 12, Iona 9
Despite a fourth-quarter rally while holding Bucknell scoreless, Iona fell three goals short 12-9 in this afternoon's match for the season's first loss. Bauman, Miller and Nastic led the Maroon and Gold with two goals each. Senior Jack Folan, Valsic and Scanlon had one goal apiece. The Gaels made nine goals on 28 shots with four assists with two by Vlasic.
In goal, junior Diego Gomez made 12 saves on 27 Bison shots, two steals and had 12 goals against. On defense, the Gaels recorded six steals. Iona drew six Bucknell kickouts with two each drawn by Miller and Vlasic, while being ejected 11 times. In the third quarter, Falon and Jevdjovic were disqualified with three ejections each. Iona did not score on four man-up chances, while Bucknell did not capitalize on ten man-up opportunities. The Gaels turned the ball over nine times.
After Bucknell scored first with 45 seconds gone in the match, Scanlon knotted the match at one each with 6:20 remaining in the opening period. The Bisons answered just 21 ticks later for a one-goal 2-1 edge. Miller's first score retied the game at two with 3:15 left. With 39 seconds left, Gomez's save of a Bison five-meter penalty shot maintained a two-all tie going into the second period.
Just 28 seconds into the second quarter, the Bison regained a one-goal edge 3-2. On a 3-0 run, Bucknell took a three-goal 5-2 edge with 4:11 remaining. Vlasic sliced the Bison edge back to two 5-3, but Bucknell answered going into the final minute. The teams traded goals with Nastic and Bauman scoring for Iona as Bucknell led by three 8-5 at halftime. Only 1:42 into the third quarter, Folan got Iona back within two 8-6. But Bucknell took off on another 3-0 run for a five-goal 11-6 advantage with 4:11 to go. Bauman answered with 1:30 left to pull Iona within four 11-7, until a Bucknell scored with 16 ticks on the clock resulted in a five-goal 12-7 Bison margin going into the final period.
With 29 seconds gone in the fourth period. Miller's second goal chopped the Bison lead back to four 12-8. Nastic's second score continued a 2-0 Gaels as Iona got within three 12-9 with 3:15 to go. Even though the Iona defense held Bucknell scoreless in the final period. the late-game rally fell short.
COACH THOUGHTS
Despite the afternoon's loss to Bucknell, Iona head coach Brian Kelly was pleased with his squad's season-opening performance.
"I thought today was a good day," Kelly said. "We had a nice win to start the season with two dominant performances by Andrew Miller and Luksa Vlasic. Although we won, our defense wasn't very good in the first game. "I'm very encouraged how we corrected our mistakes in game two versus a very good Bucknell team. Our defensive communication and our awareness are going to be the keys to our season."
UP NEXT
The Gaels travel to Providence, Rhode Island, tomorrow for the second day of the Bruno Classic taking on two nationally ranked opponents in No. 6 Pacific at 9 a.m., and No. 15 Fordham at 1 p.m., at Brown University's Coleman Aquatics Center
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