VILLANOVA, PA - After opening the 2025 season with a 14-5 win over Mercyhurst University, the Iona women's water polo team fell 17-5 to host Villanova University in the 2025 Wildcat Invitational this weekend hosted by Villanova University.
Iona 14 Mercyhurst 5
Beginning their season with a 4-2 opening-quarter advantage, the Gaels led the rest of the way for their first win of the 2025 campaign with a 14-5 victory over Mercyhurst. Six newcomers recorded the first goals of their Iona careers. Sophomore Maleah Penman, freshman Mikayla Arthur, freshman Grace Goldhammer and freshman Olivia Weissman led the Maroon and Gold (1-1 overall) with two goals each. Senior Emily Geld, sophomore Vanessa McNabb, freshman Ella Ferguson, junior Lea Preston, sophomore Kaitlyn Williams, freshman Anna O'Malley scored one goal apiece. The Gaels scored 14 goals on 38 shots on five assists with two by Goldhammer.
In goal, graduate student Lilly Morris had eight saves, one assist and four goals against in the first three quarters. Freshman Ella Dean had four saves and one goal against in the final period. On defense, the Gaels made 19 steals with five by Weissman and four by junior Lola Trujillo, who won three of four swim offs. Iona drew eight kick-outs with two each by McNabb and freshman Bailey Desmond, including two five-meter penalties, while being ejected seven times. Williams blocked one shot. The Gaels turned the ball over nine times. Iona did not score on five woman-up chances, while Mercyhurst did not capitalize on two woman-up chances.
After Mercyhurst got on the board first on a five-meter penalty goal with 1:33 gone in the match, Williams tied the score at one all with 4:11 remaining in the opening period. Goldhammer put the Gaels up one 2-1 with her first Iona score at the 3:07 mark. She struck again followed by O'Malley's first Gael goal for a 4-1 edge 1:07 on the clock. The Lakers scored on their next chance to trim the Gaels lead back to two 4-2 going into the second period. Neither squad scored in the second quarter until Penman hit a five-meter penalty shot to put Iona up three 5-2 with 2:29 left. With her first Iona score, Weissman upped the Gaels advantage to four 6-2 with 1:05 to go, but Mercyhurst answered with 51 ticks left to slice the Maroon and Gold's edge back to three 6-3 at halftime.
After the Lakers got within two 6-4, Arthur and McNabb recorded their first Iona scores, followed by Weissman's second score on a 3-0 for a five-goal 9-4 Gaels margin. Geld continued a 4-0 Gaels streak for a 10-4 advantage with 1:32 remaining. With Dean in goal, Mercyhurst chopped the Iona edge to five 10-5 with 1:16 gone in the fourth quarter. Arthur and Penman answered with their second scores to put the Gaels back up seven 12-5 at the 3;26 mark. Preston buried a five-meter penalty shot for an eight-goal 13-5 advantage with 2:33 remaining. With a minute left, Ferguson sealed the win 14-5 with her first Iona goal.
Villanova 17 Iona 5
Down by just three goals 4-1 going into the second quarter, Iona managed only four scores over the next three periods that resulted in a 17-5 non-conference loss to host Villanova in today's second match. Trujillo led the Maroon and Gold with two goals. McNabb, Williams and Arthur had one goal apiece. The Gaels scored five goals on 32 shots on one assist by Goldhammer.
In goal, Morris had four saves, including stopping a five-meter penalty shot, and 14 goals against in the first three quarters. Dean had four saves and three goals against in the fourth quarter. On defense, the Gaels made eight steals with four by Trujillo, who won three of four swim offs. Iona drew Wildcats eight kickouts with four by McNabb, while being ejected 15 times, including two five-meter penalties. Iona blocked three Wildcats shots with two by Trujillo. The Gaels turned the ball over six times. Iona did not score on nine woman-up chances, while Villanova capitalized on seven of 11 woman-up chances.
Capitalizing on a woman-up chance, Villanova struck first with 1:26 gone in the opening period, but Williams answered on Iona's next trip down the pool to knot the score at one all just 23 ticks later. The Wildcats tacked on another 6-on-5 goal to go back up one 2-1 at the 4:05 mark. Two more unanswered hosts scores in the closing 1:15 resulted in a three-goal 4-1 Villanova edge going into the second period.
Trujillo needed only 45 seconds into the second quarter to end the Iona offensive drought and pull the Gaels back within two 4-2. The Wildcats struck on their next possession to retake a three-goal 5-2 lead just 55 ticks later. Morris blocked a Villanova five-meter penalty shot, but a Wildcats goal built a four-score advantage 6-2 with 4:01 remaining. Trujillo's second goal in the period cut the home lead to three 6-3 until a Villanova five-meter penalty goal restored the Wildcats four-score advantage 7-3 with 3:26 left. With Morris ejected, the Wildcats added a goalie-out score to go up five 8-3 with 2:29 remaining.
In the third period, two straight Iona scores from McNabb and Arthur got the Gaels back within three 8-5, then the Wildcats responded with six unanswered goals for a nine-score 14-5 advantage with 41 seconds left. Continuing a 9-0 run into the final period with three consecutive goals, Villanova went up twelve 17-5 with 2:03 remaining. Iona did not score in the fourth quarter.
COACH THOUGHTS
Disappointed with his "brand-new" squad's play in both matches today, Iona head coach Brian Kelly wants his players to learn from the experience and develop a team "identity." "I thought we played poorly in both games today," Kelly said. "We're a brand-new team with ten new players. We need to learn how to play together, minimize our weaknesses, play to our strengths and form an identity."
UP NEXT
On Sunday, the Gaels take on Gannon University at noon and Mount Saint Mary's at 3:30 p.m.
