PROVIDENCE, RI  – After falling 18-7 to number-nine ranked University of Pacific (Stockton, CA) this morning, the Iona men's water polo team notched its first season win with a 14-12 victory over Gannon University (Erie, PA) in the first day of the 2024 Bruno Classic hosted this weekend by Brown University at the Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatic Center.

Pacific (9) 18 Iona 7

Down by only five goals 7-2 at the end of the first quarter, the Gaels managed only five more scores as Iona fell 18-7 to Pacific, which is ranked number-nine in the Collegiate Water Polo Association Preseason Poll. Senior Rastko Jevdjovic and freshman Samson Williams, in his Iona debut, led the Maroon and Gold with three goals each. Sophomore Brett Grady added one score on his only shot. The Gaels scored seven goals on 23 shots on five assists.

In goal, senior Aleksandar Slavkovic had 11 saves on 34 Tigers shots, made three steals and had 18 goals against. On defense, senior Coby Scanlon blocked one Pacific shot. The Gaels made nine steals with two from Jevdjovic. Iona drew 14 Pacific kick-outs with three each by senior Matthew Mischlich, sophomore Pavle Musikic and sophomore Daniel Raz, while being ejected 12 times with two five-meter penalties.The Gaels turned the ball over 18 times. Iona won two of four swim-offs.

With 1:06 gone in the match, Pacific got on the board first for a 1-0 edge. The Tigers followed with two straight scores to build a 3-0 advantage with 4:33 left in the opening period. With his first Gael goal, Williams pulled Iona back within two 3-1 just 23 ticks later. On the Gaels next chance, Williams struck again on a man-up chance as the Gaels cut the Tigers' edge to one 3-2 with 3:22 left. Pacific answered with four consecutive scores, including a five-meter penalty goal, for a five-goal 7-2 lead going into the second period.

In the second quarter, the Tigers continued a 8-0 run with five more scores until Jevdiovic took advantage of a 6-5 opportunity to cut the Pacific lead to eight 11-3 with 2:58 remaining in the first half. The Gaels outscored the Tigers 3-2 in the third period. Grady needed just 35 seconds into the third quarter to get Iona within seven 11-4, but Pacific answered on its next chance for a 12-4 edge with 6:34 left. Just 24 seconds later, Jevdiovic's second score cut the Tigers' lead to seven 12-5. After another Pacific goal with 3:55 left, Jevdiovic's third score reduced the Tigers edge to seven 13-6 going into the final period.

After the Tigers opened the period with another score to go up eight 14-6, Williams buried his third goal to pull the Gaels back within seven 14-7 with 6:16 remaining in regulation. Pacific sealed its 18-7 win with four straight scores, but Slavkovic blocked a Tigers five-meter penalty shot with 2:33 left.

Iona 14 Gannon 12

After a first half featuring five ties and two lead changes, Iona mounted a five-goal rally, then stopped Gannon's four-goal fourth-quarter surge to earn the squad's first season win 14-12. Musikic led Iona with a perfect seven goals on seven shots, while Mischlich added three on seven shots. Jevdjovic scored twice, and Grady and sophomore Ryan Tannis each had one goal. The Gaels scored 14 goals on 27 shots on 11 assists with three by Jevdjovic and two each from senior Coby Scanlon and Musikic.

In goal, Slavkovic had eight saves on 22 Gannon shots, made five steals and had 12 goals against. On defense, the Gaels made 15 steals with three by Scanlon and two by Grady and junior Zachary McAllister-Sim. Jevdjovic blocked one Golden Knights shot. Iona drew ten Gannon kickouts with three by Scanlon and two by Musikic, including two five-meter penalties, while being ejected seven times with two five-meter penalties. Williams was disqualified with three ejections. The Gaels turned the ball over 16 times. Iona won two of four swimoffs.

Musikic needed only 59 seconds into the match to give Iona a 1-0 advantage. Two minutes later, Mitschlich gave the Gaels a two-goal cushion 2-0. With 3:30 left in the opening period, Gannon got on the board to slice the Iona advantage back to one 2-1. The Golden Knights knotted the score at two all on their next possession with 2:40 remaining. Just 28 ticks later, Musikic restored Iona's lead 3-2 on a five-meter penalty shot. With 32 seconds to go, Gannon retied the game at three going into the second period.

With 1:43 gone in the second quarter, Gannon earned its first lead 4-3, but Jedjovic tied the game for the third time at four with 5:50 to go. A Gannon lob regained a one-goal 5-4 Golden Knights edge with 3:29 left. On the Gaels next trip down the pool, Musikic's second goal locked the game at five all at the three-minute mark. Taking advantage of a man-up chance, Gannon went back up one 6-5, but Mischlich answered just nine ticks later to tie the match at six with 1:45 remaining. With a single second on the clock, Grady's corner shot from seven meters on the rope put Iona back up one 6-5 at the halftime buzzer.

Continuing a 3-0 run, Mischlich's third goal gave Iona a two-score 8-6 cushion with 6:12 left in the third period. Following Musikic's fourth goal, Jevdjovic's second goal on a five-meter penalty try mounted a four-goal 10-6 advantage on a 5-0 Gaels rally. After Gannon ended the Gaels streak, Musikic's fifth score put Iona back up four 11-7 with 2:35 left. The Golden Knights answered, but Tannis found the back of the net with 32 ticks left for a 12-8 Iona edge going into the final period.

Musikic scored his sixth tally with just 38 seconds gone in the fourth quarter. Gannon answered with two straight scores, including a five-meter penalty goal, to slice Iona's edge back to three 13-10 with 6:39 left. On a 3-0 run, Gannon landed another five-meter penalty score to get within two 13-11 with 4:44 on the clock. Another Golden Knights goal cut the Gaels lead to one 13-12 with 3:15 to go. Musikic's seventh score ended the Gannon rally for a two-goal 14-12 Iona advantage at the 2:08 mark as the Gaels held on for their first season win.

COACH THOUGHTS

Despite the loss to Pacific, Iona head coach Brian Kelly, who begins his 31st season at the helm, was pleased with his squad's energy, hard work and drawing exclusions, but disappointed with its performance on power-play opportunities.

"It was a good opening day," Kelly said. "We brought a lot of energy to both games. We have an extremely hard-working team that is very athletic, and we drew a ton of exclusions. Unfortunately, we didn't do a very good job in our power plays. We have grinders that are going to draw exclusions for us all season long. We are going to be a very good team when we get better execution on our power plays."

UP NEXT

On Sunday, Iona will face Bucknell University at noon EDT in a non-conference match before returning to New Rochelle.