POUGHKEEPSIE, NY – Allowing three straight goals in the opening minutes, the second-seeded Blue Division Iona University women's water polo rallied with six goals, but fell short in a 9-6 season-ending loss to Red Division third-seeded Villanova University in today's opening First Round match at the 2025 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship hosted here this weekend by Marist University.

Junior Sadie Sallas, a first-team All-MAAC selection, led the Maroon and Gold (12-15 overall) with two goals on five shots, while senior co-captain Addison Collins, senior Remy Ickes, junior co-captain and second-team All-MAAC member Lola Trujillo and freshman Olivia Weissman added one goal apiece. The Gaels scored six goals on 28 shots and had four assists with two by Trujillo, who won three of four swim offs.

In goal, graduate student Lily Morris had nine saves on 24 Wildcats shots, made three steals and had nine goals against. On defense, the Gaels made 11 steals with three by Collins. Iona drew eight Wildcats kick-outs with two each by Collins and Trujillo, including one five-meter penalty, while being ejected six times, including two five-meter ejections.  
 The Gaels turned the ball over nine times. Iona scored on two of eight woman-up chances, while Villanova scored two goals on six woman-up chances.

The Wildcats struck first with 2:07 gone in the match, then capitalize on a five-meter penalty to lead 2-0 with 4:47 remaining in the opening period. After Villanova tacked on another unanswered score, Collins put Iona on the board to pull within two 3-1 with 2:45 left. With 41 gone in the second quarter, the Wildcats went up three 4-1, but Sallas struck on a woman-up chance to slice the Villanova edge back to two 4-2 with 5:53 on the clock. The Wildcats answered with their own 6-5 goal, but Trujillo's first score pulled the Gaels back within two with 4:13 left. A Villanova five-meter penalty goal with 55 ticks left resulted in a three-score 6-3 Wildcats halftime lead.

Villanova upped its lead to four 7-3 with 3:07 gone in the third period. Weissman got Iona back within three 7-4, but Villanova answered with a woman-up goal for a 8-4 advantage with two minutes left. With her second score on a five-meter penalty, Sallas cut the Wildcats edge back to three 8-5 with 5:47 left in regulation. A Villanova score with 3:29 to go restored a four-goal 9-5 Wildcats margin. Ickes got the Gaels back within three 9-6 with 1:18 to go, but the Iona rally fell short.

While disappointed with the loss and his team's offensive performance, Iona head coach Brian Kelly commended the defensive effort, particularly Morris in her last game as a Gael.
It was an unfortunate way to end the season," Kelly said. "We played a very good defensive game and Lilly Morris really had a big hand in that.  We did a lot of good things, but we couldn't hit our wide-open shots."