VILLANOVA, PA – After cruising to a 20-11 win over the Virginia Military Institute, the Iona women's water polo team fell 16-14 to host Villanova University to split two Metro Atlantic Athletic Conferences matches here today.

Iona 20 VMI 11

With the entire squad playing and ten players scoring, Iona enjoyed as much as a ten-goal lead in a 20-11 win over VMI in today's first match. Senior co-captain Addison Collins led the Maroon and Gold (11-12 overall, 5-4 MAAC) with five goals on five shots, while freshman Mikayla Arthur had three goals on five shots. Junior Sadie Sallas and  freshmen Grace Goldhammer, Anna O'Malley and Olivia Weissman each scored two goals. Junior co-captain Lola Trujillo, junior Lea Preston, freshman Alyson DePalma and redshirt freshman Vanessa McNabb added one goal apiece. The Gaels scored 20 goals on 35 shots, and had 15 assists with three each by freshman Ella Ferguson and Goldhammer. In goal in the first half, graduate student Lilly Morris had eight saves 15 VMI shots, one assist and five goals against. In the second half, freshman Ella Dean had nine saves on 20 VMI shots and six goals against.

On defense, the Gaels made nine steals with two by Trujillo and blocked two shots.  Iona drew 14 VMI kick-outs with three by Ferguson, including one five-meter penalty, while being ejected ten times, including one five-meter penalty. The Gaels turned the ball over nine times.  Iona won all four swim offs with three by Trujillo and one by Preston.  Iona scored six woman-up goals on 12 chances, while VMI capitalized twice on ten chances.

With 1:13 gone In the match Sallas got the Gaels on the board first for a 1-0 edge. VMI answered 31 ticks later to tie the match at one all, but straight scores from Collins and Goldhammer put Iona up two 3-1 with 5:22 left in the opening period. A Keydets five-meter penalty shot cut the Gaels edge back to one 3-2 at the 4:29 mark. Arthur increased the Iona advantage to two 4-2 with 2:37 on the clock. Just 1:20 later, Goldhammer capitalized on a woman-up chance for a three-goal 5-2 Iona lead. In the closing minute, VMI got back within two 5-3 until two consecutive goals by McNabb and Collins resulted in a four-goal 7-3 advantage going into the second period.

Continuing a 5-0 Iona run, Collins took off on her own streak of three straight scores for six-goal 9-3 Gaels advantage only 47 seconds into the second period. A VMI goal cut the Iona lead back to five 9-4 with 6:54 left. DePalma put the Gaels back up six 10-4 at the 5:33 mark.  Weissman and Preston ignited a 3-0 run for an eight-goal Iona 12-4 advantage, but with 46 ticks remaining VMI narrowed the Gaels halftime edge back to seven 12-5.

With Dean in goal, just 1:03 into the third period, Salas struck on a five-meter penalty shot, followed by Trujillo gave Iona a nine-goal 14-5 advantage with 6:02 remaining. Two straight Keydets goals cut the Gaels lead back to seven 14-7 with 5:04 to go. Iona closed the third period with a 4-0 run as Collins, Weissman, Arthur and O'Malley gave the Gaels an 18-7 lead going into the final quarter. Two consecutive Keydets goals cut the Iona advantage back to nine 18-7 with 4:14 remaining in regulation. The teams traded goals with Arthur hitting her third goal for a nine-score 19-10 edge at the 3:15 mark. With 1:20 left, O'Malley gave the Gaels their 20^th goal of the match to seal the win despite a closing-seconds VMI tally.

Villanova 16 Iona 14

Trailing 5-1 at the end of the first period, Iona rallied to tie the match with 3:53 left, but allowed three straight Villanova goals to fall 16-14 in this evening's MAAC contest and end a six-game winning streak. Sallas led the Maroon and Gold with four goals on eight shots, while Goldhammer scored three on four shots.  Collins and Weissman scored two goals each, while Trujillo, freshman Bailey Desmond and McNabb added one goal apiece. The Gaels scored 14 goals on 36 shots, and had eleven assists with three each from Trujillo and Preston.

In goal, Morris had seven saves on 30 Villanova shots, including a five-meter penalty stop, four steals and 16 goals against. On defense, the Gaels made nine steals with three by Trujillo and blocked two shots. Iona drew nine Wildcats kick-outs with four by Goldhammer , including one five-meter penalties, while being ejected 13 times, including three five-meter penalties. Sophomore Kaitlyn Williams and McNabb were disqualified with three ejections each. The Gaels turned the ball over five times. Trujillo won three of four swim offs. Iona scored six goals on ten woman-up chances, while Villanova scored on six of 12 chances. 

Celebrating their Senior Night, the Wildcats struck first just 45 seconds into the opening period, then tacked on another score for a 2-0 edge with 6:25 on the clock. Sallas finally got the Gaels on the board with a woman-up goal, but the Wildcats answered with two straight scores for a 4-1 advantage with 3:38 remaining. Continuing a 3-0 run, the host took a four-goal 5-1 advantage on a power-play score just 1:01 later.

Consecutive goals by Trujillo and Desmond sliced the home lead back to two 5-3 with 2:01 gone in the second period. Continuing a 3-0 rally, Goldhammer capitalized on a 6-5 advantage to get Iona within one 5-4 with 3:34 remaining. On their next two chances, the Wildcats did the same twice to go back up three 7-4 with 1:56 left. After Goldhammer's second score, Villanova buried a five-meter penalty chance for a 8-5 edge with 1:26 to go. With 15 seconds to halftime, McNabb hit a woman-up goal to get Iona back within two 8-6 at intermission.

After Morris blocked a Villanova five-meter penalty shot, Goldhammer raced down the pool to cut the home lead to one with 28 seconds gone in the third period. The Wildcats answered on their next chance to go back up two 9-7. Villanova struck again on a 6-4 advantage to a three-score 10-7 edge with 5:44 remaining. On a 4-0 run, the Wildcats regained a four-score 11-7 cushion with 4:33 left. Sallas ended the Gaels offensive drought with a five-meter penalty goal to cut the home lead back to three 11-8 at the 2:43 mark. The Wildcats answered with their own five-meter penalty score to go back up four 12-8 only 37 ticks later. Collins pulled the Gaels within three 12-9 with 1:21 on the clock. With 15 ticks left, Sallas struck for the second time on a 6-5 advantage to chop the home lead to two 12-10 going into the final period.

Sallas opened the fourth quarter with another woman-up goal to trim the Wildcats lead to one 12-11 with 40 ticks gone. Villanova briefly regained a two-score advantage until Collins created a one-goal 13-12 game with 6:15 on the clock. After Trujillo forced a Villanova turnover, Weissman tied the score at 13-all with 3:53 left. The home team answered with two consecutive goals to go back up two 15-13 with 2:27 to go. The Wildcats sealed their win with another 6-5 goal with 1:38 left despite Weissman's score with 13 ticks to go, then pulling Morris from the goal.
Although disappointed with the loss to Villanova, Iona head coach Brian Kelly is confident that his young team will continue to improve for a strong showing at the upcoming conference championships.

COACH THOUGHTS

Although disappointed with the loss to Villanova, Iona head coach Brian Kelly is confident that his young team will continue to improve for a strong showing at the upcoming conference championships.

"We're playing at a really high level right now," Kelly said. "We had a chance to extend our winning streak to seven games against an excellent Villanova team. We fell just short. We had plenty of chances to win that game. "I'm looking forward to watching the film and see how we can continue to improve and  put ourselves in position to win at MAACs. That was a team that beat us by double digits earlier in the season.  We're a young team that has improved a ton and is on the rise."

UP NEXT

After the team's annual Alumni Day this Saturday, the Gaels host their Senior Day on Sunday, along with MAAC contests against Siena College at 10 a.m., and Marist College at 4 p.m., to wrap up the regular season.