PRINCETON, NJ -  After four first-half ties, the fourth-seeded Iona University men's water polo team advanced to the semi-final round with a 16-13 win over fifth-seeded Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the opening match of the Northeast Water Polo Conference Championship this weekend hosted by Princeton University.

GAME SUMMARY

Freshman Pavle Musikic led the Maroon and Gold (12-13 overall) with six goals on ten shots, while junior Matthew Mischlich scored three goals on five shots. Graduate co-captain Mohamed Refaat and junior Rastko Jevdjovic had two goals each, and junior Coby Scanlon, freshman Hugh Coyle and freshman John Barrett scored one goal apiece. The Gaels scored 16 goals on 31 shots on ten assists with four by Refaat.

In goal, junior Aleksandar Slavkovic had 11 saves on 34 Engineers shots, including stopping a five-meter penalty shot, made one steal and had 13 goals against. On defense, the Gaels made seven steals with three by Jevdjovic. Iona drew 15 MIT kickouts with nine by Musikic, including one five-meter penalty, while being ejected ten times with one five-meter penalty. Musikic blocked an MIT shot.

 The Gaels turned the ball over ten times. Iona scored on four of 16 man-up chances, while MIT scored on two of nine man-up chances. Scanlon won all four swim offs.
After the Engineers got on the board first, Musikic answered to tie the game at one all with 5:38 gone in the match. Musikic struck again following an MIT score to knot the score at two with 3:19 remaining. MIT briefly retook a one-goal 3-2 lead, but Jevdjovic capitalized on a man-up chance at the 1:20 mark for a three-all tie going into the second period.

With 2:33 gone in the second quarter, Jevdjovic's second goal gave the Gaels their first lead 4-3, but the Engineers re-tied the game at four each with 3:46 left. Refaat began a 4-0 Iona run with Scanlon and Musikic scoring for a three-goal 7-4 edge with 1:43 on the clock. Just 35 seconds later, Refaat's second goal of the period gave Iona an 8-4 Iona halftime advantage. 

Mischlich needed only 31 seconds into the third period to put the Gaels up five 9-4 on a 6-4 advantage, but MIT answered with a man-up goal on its next possession. Mischlich struck again to spark a goal-trading run with Coyle and Musikic scoring for a 12-7 Iona edge with 3:42 left. Following two straight MIT scores, Musikic recorded his fifth goal on a five-meter penalty shot to restore a four-goal Gaels 13-9 advantage with 1:36 left. In the closing 56 seconds, MIT hit two more consecutive goals to trim the Iona lead to two 13-11 going into the final period. 

Just 1:14 into the fourth quarter, Mischlich's third goal on a man-up chance upped the Iona edge to three 14-11, but two more MIT scores chopped the Gaels edge back to one 14-13 with 5:38 remaining in regulation. Musikic's sixth goal followed by Barrett gave the Gaels a three-score 16-13 cushion at the 3:12 mark, as Iona ran out the clock for the win.

COACH THOUGHTS

While pleased with his team's third win over MIT this season, Iona head coach Brian Kelly "was disappointed" with how their third-quarter performance let the Engineers "back in the game." "It's very hard to beat a good team three times, especially a rival," Kelly said. "We had a good first half and I was disappointed how we came out in the third quarter and let them back in the game. We had a lot of offensive fouls that led to counter-attack goals. "I feel like we regained our momentum when Slavke had that huge penalty shot save. Pavle Musikic dominated, scoring six goals and drawing nine exclusions."  

UP NEXT

On Saturday in the championship semifinal, the Gaels will face number-one seeded host Princeton University at noon.