Box Score PROVIDENCE, RI – Down by five late in the third quarter, the fourth-seeded Iona men's water polo team rallied with seven fourth-quarter goals but fell one short, 16–15, to sixth-seeded Long Island University this morning at the Northeast Water Polo Conference Championships hosted by Brown University.
Senior co-captains Matthew Mischlich and Rastko Jevdjovic, along with junior Jayden Arana, led the Maroon and Gold (8–18 overall) with three goals apiece, while sophomore Pavel Musikic scored twice. Graduate student Luka Nastic and sophomores Hugh Coyle, Daniel Raz, and Ryan Tannus added one goal each.
The Gaels scored 15 goals on 38 shots on nine assists, three by Mischlich.
In goal in the first quarter, senior Aleksandar Slavkovic had five saves on ten Sharks shots, made one steal, and allowed four goals against. Sophomore P.J. Bartzen made seven saves on 22 Sharks shots, added one steal, and allowed 12 goals against in the second, third, and fourth quarters.
On defense, Iona did not block any LIU shots. The Gaels made nine steals. Iona drew 13 Sharks kickouts, including four by Mischlich and three by Jevdjovic, and three five-meter penalties, while being ejected 13 times with one five-meter penalty. Musikic was disqualified in the third period. Iona scored two man-up goals on eight chances, while LIU converted one man-up goal on 12 chances.
The Gaels turned the ball over 12 times. Sophomore Brett Grady won one of four swim-offs.
With 4:38 gone in the first period, LIU struck first on a goalie-out score, then converted a five-meter penalty for a 2–0 advantage with four minutes remaining. Musikic got Iona on the board to cut the Sharks' lead to 2–1 with 3:24 left in the opening period. In the final 1:44, two straight LIU goals, including a man-up score, gave the Sharks a 4–1 cushion going into the second period.
A minute into the second quarter, LIU added a third straight goal to go up 5–1. After another Sharks score, Nastic pulled the Gaels back within four at 6–2 with 1:35 gone. LIU answered on its next trip down the pool for a 7–2 edge with 5:30 left. Jevdjovic narrowed the LIU lead to 7–3 with 4:07 to go. Continuing a 3–0 Iona run, goals from Tannus and Mischlich brought the Gaels within two, 7–5, at halftime.
Mischlich opened the second half by cutting the Sharks' lead to 7–6, but LIU responded with two straight man-up goals to go back up 9–6 with 2:01 gone in the third period. Mounting a 3–0 run, LIU extended its lead to 10–6 with 4:38 left. After Musikic buried a five-meter penalty, LIU scored twice for a five-goal, 12–7 advantage with 2:59 remaining. With 17 seconds left, Arana trimmed the Sharks' lead back to four, 12–8, heading into the final period.
Fifty-eight seconds into the fourth quarter, Jevdjovic's second score got Iona within three at 12–9. Mischlich found the back of the net for the third time to make it 12–10 with 5:49 on the clock. Jevdjovic struck again to bring Iona within one, 12–11, with 5:49 to go. After an LIU five-meter penalty goal, Arana's second goal made it 13–12 with 5:16 remaining. After another LIU goal, Arana scored from the corner, followed by Coyle, to tie the game at 14–14 with 3:38 left. The Sharks struck twice to go up 16–14 with 1:12 to play. Raz brought Iona back within one, 16–15, with 34 seconds remaining, but time ran out on the Gaels' fourth-quarter rally.
