LEXINGTON, VA – After leading first-place Wagner College 4-3 at the end of the first quarter, the Iona women's water polo team allowed a 9-0 Seahawks run into the third quarter to fall 19-8 this morning for the squad's third Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference loss this weekend at Virginia Military Institute.

GAME SUMMARY

Junior co-captain Lola Trujillo led the Maroon and Gold (5-10 overall, 0-3 MAAC) with three goals on seven shots. Junior Sadie Sallas, sophomore Kaitlyn Williams, redshirt freshman Vanessa McNabb, freshman Blaize Penso and freshman Olivia Weissman each scored one goal. The Gaels scored eight goals on 27 shots.  Freshmen Ella Ferguson and Anna O'Malley had one assist apiece. 

In goal, graduate student Lilly Morris had four saves on 30 Wagner shots, one steal and 18 goals against. In the fourth quarter, freshman Ella Dean had no saves on two Wagner shots and one goal against. On defense, the Gaels made six steals with three by freshman Grace Goldhammer.  Salas, Williams and Weissman each blocked one shot. Iona drew 14 Wagner kickouts with three each by freshman Mikayla Arthur and Weismann, including two five-meter penalties, while being ejected 11 times, including three five-meter penalties. Williams was disqualified with three ejections. The Gaels turned the ball over 13 times.  Trujillo won three of four swim offs.  

With 2:37 gone in the match, Sallas got Iona on the board first with a five-meter penalty goal for a 1-0 lead. Two consecutive Gael goals from Trujillo and McCabb on another five-meter penalty score put Iona up 3-0 with 4:26 remaining in the opening period. Wagner sliced the Iona lead to two 3-1, but Trujillo's second score restored a three-goal advantage 4-1 with 3:13 left.  The Seahawks answered with two straight scores to pull back within one 4-3 with 47 ticks to go.

With 15 seconds gone in the second period, Wagner missed a five-meter penalty shot, then buried another 30 ticks later to tie the match at four all. Continuing a 6-0 run, the Seahawks took the lead 5-4, then tacked on two more unanswered scores for a 7-4 edge with 3:59 on the clock. The Seahawks struck again with six seconds left for a 8-4 halftime advantage as the Gaels failed to score in the second quarter.

With two more consecutive scores, Wagner needed only 1:37 into the third quarter to go up six 10-4. Williams ended the Iona offensive drought with 5:32 left to pull Iona back within five 10-5.   Wagner answered two scores for a eight-goal 13-5 advantage with 32 ticks on the clock. Continuing a 5-0 run into the final period, the Seahawks added two goals, including a five-meter penalty chance, in the opening 1:16 for a ten-score 15-5 margin. A woman-up Wagner score put the Seahawks up eleven 16-5, but Trujillo's third goal cut their advantage back to ten 16-6 with 4:37 remaining. Wagner tacked on three more scores for a 19-6 margin at the 2:19 mark.  Weissman and Penso found the back of the net in the closing 2:02 to get Iona within eleven 19-8 as time expired.

UP NEXT

On Wednesday night, Iona travels to Princeton University for a 6:30 p.m. non-conference match.