NEW ROCHELLE – After two ties and a brief one-goal first-period lead, the Iona men's water team managed only four scores the rest of the way and fell 13-7 to number-14 ranked Harvard University in a Northeast Water Polo Conference home match this afternoon at Hynes Pool.

GAME SUMMARY

Graduate student co-captain Trippe Bauman, senior co-captain Luksa Vlasic and freshman Pavlik Musikic led the Maroon and Gold (6-8 overall, 0-2 NEWPC) with three goals apiece.  Freshman Hugh Coyle added one score. The Gaels scored seven goals on 13 shots and made three assists with two by junior Rastko Jevdjovic. 
 
In goal, freshman P.J. Bartzen had seven saves on 27 Crimson shots and had 13 goals against. On defense, the Gaels made ten steals with three by Musikic and two each by Vlasic, junior Matthew Mischlich and Jevdjovic. Iona blocked three Harvard shots. Iona drew 13 Crimson kickouts with six by Musikic and four by Mischlich and no five-meter penalties, while being ejected 14 times, including one five-meter penalty. Musikic was disqualified with three ejections in the fourth period. Iona scored one man-up goal on 12 chances, while Harvard scored four on eight man-up opportunities. The Gaels turned the ball over 17 times. Junior Toby Scanlon won three of four swim offs.

Harvard struck first on two man-up goals for a 2-0 edge with 5:32 left in the opening period. Vlasic got the Gaels on the board 1:59 later to cut the visitors' lead back to one 2-1. Bauman tied the match at two all at the 1:16 mark. With 25 ticks left, Vlasic's second score to give Iona a one-goal 3-2 advantage. But two Harvard scores in the closing five seconds, including a buzzer-beating goalie goal, restored a one-point 4-3 lead going into the second period. Harvard continued a 3-0 run to go up two 5-3 with 1:56 gone in the second period. Musikic trimmed the Crimson edge back to one 5-4 just 1:29 later. Harvard answered with two straight scores for a three-goal edge with 2:27 on the clock.  Another last-second Crimson score gave the visitors an 8-4 halftime cushion.

The Crimson opened the third period with three consecutive goals on a 6-0 streak to go up six with 5:54 remaining.   Just 19 ticks later, Musikic's second goal on a 6-5 advantage got Iona back within six 11-5.  Bauman pounded in a rebound of Scanlon's shot with just nine seconds left to cut the visitors' lead back to five 11-6 going into the final period. With two consecutive scores, Harvard took a seven-goal edge 13-6 with 4:30 left in regulation. Coyle's man-up goal got the hosts back within six at the three-minute mark. With 56 ticks to go, a Harvard five-meter penalty shot hit the crossbar, then the Crimson ran out the clock for the win.

UP NEXT

On Sunday, the Gaels will honor their four graduating seniors at 2:15 p.m. Prior to that match, Iona takes on number-19 Brown University at 10:30 a.m., then faces the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at 3:30 p.m.