PROVIDENCE, RI – Leading 5-3 at halftime, the fourth-seeded Iona men's water polo team was outscored 12-6 in the second half, resulting in a 15-11 opening-round loss this afternoon to the fifth-seeded Massachusetts Institute of Technology at the 2026 Northeast Water Polo Conference Championships hosted by Brown University.

GAME SUMMARY

Senior co-captain Matthew Mischlich and sophomore Pavel Musikic led the Maroon and Gold (8-17 overall) with three goals each, while junior Jayden Arana and sophomore Hugh Coyle scored twice. Senior co-captain Rastko Jevdjovic added one goal. 

The Gaels scored eleven goals on 31 shots on ten assists, with three from Mischlich and two from Musikic. In goal, senior Aleksandar Slavkovic had eight saves on 34 Engineers shots, made six steals, and allowed 15 goals.

On defense, Iona blocked two MIT shots. The Gaels made 14 steals, with three by Grady and two each by Mischlich and Arana. Iona drew six Engineers kickouts, with two by Musikic, while being ejected ten times with three five-meter penalties. Jevdjovic was disqualified with three ejections. Iona scored two man-up goals on five chances, while MIT had four man-up goals on eight chances. The Gaels turned the ball over eight times. Brett Grady won two of four swim-offs.

With 1:10 gone in the match, Mischlich got Iona on the board with a man-up goal for a 1-0 edge. Musikic upped the Gaels' lead to 2-0, but the Engineers answered to get within one, 2-1, at the 3:47 mark. Just 47 ticks later, Coyle put Iona back up two, 3-1, going into the second period.

The Engineers sliced the Gaels' cushion back to one, 3-2, on a man-up goal with 5:48 gone in the second quarter. Mischlich's second score restored a two-goal Gaels lead with 2:55 to go. MIT answered 56 seconds later, but with 1:29 left, Coyle's second goal put Iona up two, 5-3, at halftime.

MIT scored with 27 ticks gone in the third period, but Musikic's second goal restored a two-score, 6-4, Gaels edge with 6:40 remaining. Two straight Engineers scores knotted the match at 6-6 with 3:53 remaining. Jevdjovic put the Gaels back up one, 7-6, then three unanswered MIT goals, including a five-meter penalty score, resulted in a 9-7 advantage with 1:33 remaining. With 1:07 left, Musikic's third goal got the Gaels back within one, 9-8, going into the final period.

MIT opened the fourth quarter with a 4-0 run, including a man-up goal and five-meter penalty score, to go up five, 13-8, with 4:33 left in regulation. Arana ended the Iona offensive drought to get the Gaels back within four, 13-9, but MIT answered with two more goals, including a five-meter penalty, for a 15-9 advantage with 2:13 on the clock. Arana's second goal and Mischlich's third trimmed the MIT lead to four, 15-11, as the Iona rally fell short.

UP NEXT

On Saturday, Iona will take on sixth-seeded Long Island University at 11 a.m. ET.