PRINCETON, NJ – Facing its third nationally ranked team in two days, the Iona men's water polo team fell 17-6 to the number-17 United States Naval Academy on the second day of the 2024 Princeton Invitational hosted this weekend by Princeton University at DeNuzio Pool. 

GAME SUMMARY

Graduate student James DiSalle and senior tri-captain Luksa Vlasic led the Maroon and Gold (1-5 overall) with two goals each, while graduate tri-captain Trippe Bauman and junior Rastko Jevdjovic scored one goal apiece. The Gaels scored six goals on 27 shots on five assists with two from Bauman.

In goal, junior Aleksandar Slavkovic had 11 saves on 29 Midshipmen shots, made four steals and had 15 goals against. In the fourth quarter, sophomore Orlando Hernandez had one save on five Navy shots and one goal against. On defense, Vlasic blocked one Navy shot. The Gaels made ten steals. Iona drew 11 Navy kickouts with four by Jevdjovic with one five-meter penalty, while being ejected 14 times with four five-meter penalties. Graduate tri-captain Mohamed Refaat, junior Coby Scanlon, Vlasic and junior Matthew Mischlich were disqualified. Iona scored two goals on eight man-up chances, while Navy had five goals on eleven opportunities. The Gaels turned the ball over 18 times. Iona won three of four swim offs.

With 1:02 gone in the match, Bauman scored on a man-up chance, but Navy tied the score at one, then took a 2-1 lead on a five-meter penalty shot with 4:45 left in the first period. Continuing a 4-0 run, two more Midshipmen goals put Navy three 4-1 with 1:20 on the clock.

Following three straight second-quarter Navy scores, Vlasic buried a five-meter penalty shot to get Iona back with five 7-5 with 4:48 to go. Slavkovic blocked a Navy five-meter penalty shot, but the Midshipmen scored with 2:58 left for a six-goal 8-2 advantage.  Just 1:11 later, Vlasic's skip-shot second score on a man-up chance trimmed the Midshipmen's lead back to five 8-3 at intermission.

Navy opened the third period with two straight scores, including a five-meter penalty goal, for a 10-3 cushion with 6:41 remaining. After DiSalle pulled Iona within six 10-4, five more Navy goals resulted in a 15-4 Midshipmen edge with 1:23 to go. In the fourth quarter, Jevdiovic cut the Navy lead to ten 15-5, but Navy answered for a 16-5 margin with 4:11 remaining in regulation. Navy tacked on two more goals, then DiSalle found the back of the net with five ticks left.

UP NEXT

Next weekend, Iona travels to the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO, for the 2024 Air Force Rare Air Challenge. On Saturday, Iona faces the University of La Verne at 5 p.m. ET/3 p.m. MT and California Lutheran University at 9:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. MT. On Sunday, the Gaels take on Concordia University (CA) at 3 p.m. ET/1 p.m. MT and host Air Force at 6:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. MT.