LOUDONVILLE, NY - The Iona University women's water polo team split a pair of one-goal Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Blue Division decisions at Siena Pool on Saturday. After falling 10-9 to division leading Marist, the Gaels held on for a 9-8 win over the host Saints.

GAME 1: MARIST 10, IONA 9

In a match featuring four ties and one lead change, Iona surrendered five straight second half goals, and rallied with three straight tallies in the final three minutes but fell to Marist by a single goal 10-9 in the afternoon's first contest.

IONA PERFORMERS/TEAM STATS

Senior Sadie Sallas led the Maroon & Gold (12-14, 5-4 MAAC) with three goals on nine shots. Seniors Amelia Gonzalez and Kaya Hart, juniors Addison Collins and Remy Ickes, sophomore Isabella Adams and freshman Bella Morquecho scored one goal apiece.
 
The Gaels scored nine goals on 39 shots and seven assists with three by Hart and two by junior Lola Trujillo. The Gaels won two of four swim offs.
 
In goal, senior Lilly Morris had 14 saves on 27 Red Fox shots, made four steals and had ten goals against.
 
On defense, the Gaels made 12 steals with two each by Hart, Sallas and Trujillo. Iona drew 11 Marist kickouts with three by Hart, while being ejected seven times. Neither squad was assessed a five-meter penalty.
 
The Gaels turned the ball over 12 times. Iona scored on two of 11 6-on-5 chances, while Marist scored three goals on seven power play chances.

THE RUNDOWN

Sallas put Iona on the board first, followed by Adams, as the Gaels led 2-0 with 2:29 gone in the match. Marist scored with 54 seconds left in the opening period to cut the Iona edge to one 2-1 going into the second quarter.
 
The Red Foxes tied the match at two each just 1:14 into the second period. Only 57 ticks later, Hart put Iona back up one 3-2, but Marist answered on its next possession to retie the score at three with 5:31 remaining. With Sallas' second score, the Gaels regained a one-goal 4-3 halftime advantage with 1:41 left.
 
Just 37 seconds gone, Gonzalez upped the Iona lead to two 5-3 on a catch-and-shoot score, but Marist chopped the Gaels lead back to one 5-4 with 6:15 to go in the third period. The Red Foxes capitalized on a woman-up chance to tie the match for the third time at the 4:33 mark. Morquecho found the back of the net as Iona regained a one-goal lead 5-4 with 2:49 to go. On two straight scores, including a power-play score, Marist took its first lead 7-6 with 16 seconds left.
 
The Red Foxes continued a 5-0 run into the final period with three unanswered goals for a 10-6 edge with 5:18 remaining in regulation. Sparking a 3-0 run, Ickes ended the Iona scoring drought to pull the Gaels back within three 10-7 with 3:40 to go. On Iona's next possession, Sallas recorded a hat-trick to slice the Marist lead back two 10-8 at the 2:42 mark. With just 45 ticks left, Collins scored as Iona climbed back within one 10-9. Iona retook possession with only 12 ticks remaining, but Gonzalez's shot with two seconds on the clock was tipped over the goal as the Gaels 3-0 rally fell a goal short.

GAME 2: IONA 9, SIENA 8

Rebounding from its disappointing one-goal loss in the opener, Iona defeated Siena by a single tally 9-8 in the night cap which included six ties.

IONA PERFORMERS/TEAM STATS

Trujillo (ten shots) and Sallas (four shots) led the Maroon & Gold with two goals each. Graduate student Mia Tovar, Gonzalez, Hart, Collins, and Ickes scored one goal apiece.
 
The Gaels scored nine goals on 29 shots on six assists with two each by Tovar and Trujillo. The Gaels won two of four swim offs.
 
In goal, Morris had 15 saves on 27 Siena shots, made two steals, and had eight goals against, including a five-meter penalty save.
 
On defense, the Gaels made eight steals with two by Collins. Iona drew six Siena kickouts with three by Tovar, while being ejected seven times, including one five-meter penalty.
 
 The Gaels turned the ball over 16 times. Iona scored on one of six woman-up chances, while Siena scored one goal on seven woman-up chances.

THE RUNDOWN

Siena needed only 28 seconds to get on the board first, but the Gaels answered to tie the match at one with 6:18 left in the opening period. The Saints went back up one 2-1, then the Gaels knotted the score at two each on their next chance with 4:14 remaining. With nine ticks left, Siena retook a one-goal edge 3-2 going into the second quarter.
 
With 1:45 gone in the second period, Sallas locked the game at three each. The Saints retook a one-score edge 4-3 with 3:37 remaining on the clock, then Addison tied the score for the fourth time at four apiece just 1:22 later. On a lob shot, the home squad went back up one 5-4 with 43 ticks left. Ickes' score with nine seconds left resulted in a five-all tie at intermission.
 
Sallas' second score gave the Gaels their first lead of the match 6-5 with 5:24 remaining in the third period. The Saints answered on their next trip down the pool for the match's sixth tie at six apiece. Iona regained a one-goal 7-6 edge as Gonzalez scored with 2:24 remaining. With just 59 ticks remaining, Tovar followed to give Iona a two-goal 8-6 edge going into the final period.
 
After Morris blocked a Siena five-meter penalty try, Trujillo's second goal continued a 3-0 run for a three-goal 9-6 Iona lead with 1:43 gone in the fourth quarter. A minute later, the Saints got back within two 9-7. With just 41 seconds left in regulation, the hosts trimmed Iona's lead to a single-goal 9-8. Time expired as Morris saved Siena's final-second shot and Iona held on for its fifth conference win.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

Speaking on behalf of her teammates, co-captain Kaya Hart admitted there were some "fundamental mistakes," but the squad was well focused in the Siena win.
 
"We had a chance to win both games, but we made fundamental mistakes. We didn't lose focus in the Siena game," Hart said. "We're fired up to win both games."
 
Co-captain Mia Tovar was confident that the team could finish the regular season tomorrow with two wins going into MAAC Championships.
 
"This is coming down to the most important weekend of our season," Tovar said. "We need to win the two games tomorrow and bring a lot of focus and positive energy across the team.
 
"I know we have what it takes to come out on top for both games tomorrow and we're going to put up a good fight. I'm so proud of this team and the impact we've made regardless."

UP NEXT

On Sunday, the Gaels travel to Poughkeepsie to face Mount St. Mary's at 1:30 p.m. and a rematch with Marist at 5 p.m., as they wrap up the regular season.
 

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