PRINCETON, NJ – After picking up its second season win, 12-10, over Santa Clara University, the Iona women's water polo team fell 12-9 to Bucknell University today at the 2026 Princeton Invite hosted by Princeton University at DeNunzio Pool this weekend.
Iona 12, Santa Clara 10
In a close match featuring five ties and four lead changes, Iona outscored Santa Clara 3-1 in the final period for its second season win, 12-10, in this afternoon's match. Senior Sadie Sallas led the Maroon and Gold (2-3 overall) with five goals on 10 shots, while sophomores Grace Goldhammer and Nicole Morrison both scored twice. Senior co-captain Lola Trujillo and sophomores Ella Ferguson and Bailey Desmond had one goal apiece.
The Gaels scored 12 goals on 28 shots with five assists, including two by freshman Fiona Rowe. In goal, freshman MJ Metzdorf had six saves on 17 Santa Clara shots, one steal, and 10 goals against. On defense, the Gaels made 11 steals, with five by Trujillo and two by Goldhammer. Trujillo and sophomore Mikayla Arthur blocked one shot each. Iona drew four Santa Clara kickouts, including two five-meter penalties, while being ejected 12 times, including two five-meter penalties. Sophomore Maleah Penman and Rowe were disqualified with three ejections each. Trujillo won three of four swim-offs. Iona scored one woman-up goal on two opportunities, while Santa Clara scored two on 10 chances. The Gaels committed three turnovers.
Sallas needed only 20 seconds into the match to give Iona a 1-0 lead. She followed with a five-meter penalty goal to put the Gaels up 2-0 with 5:27 on the clock. The Broncos answered with two straight goals, including a five-meter penalty score, to knot the game at 2-2 with 4:40 left. Santa Clara took a one-goal lead, 3-2, at the 2:51 mark, but Trujillo re-tied the score at three on the Gaels' next trip down the pool.
With 1:06 gone in the second period, Iona regained the lead, 4-3, on Sallas' third goal. Just 54 seconds later, Sallas scored her fourth goal, but the Broncos cut the Gaels' lead back to one, 5-4, with 4:50 left. Two straight Iona scores from Ferguson and Goldhammer created a 7-4 Gaels advantage with 2:24 remaining until halftime.
On two straight scores, Santa Clara cut Iona's lead back to one, 7-6, with 5:32 left in the third period. Continuing a 3-0 run, the Broncos tied the game for the third time at seven with 4:52 to go. Sallas' fifth goal on a five-meter penalty chance put Iona back up one, 8-7, but Santa Clara reknotted the score at eight apiece, then went up one, 9-8, with 1:33 to go. With 26 seconds left, Morrison tied the game at nine going into the final period.
Neither squad scored until Goldhammer's second goal put the Gaels back up one, 10-9, with 3:50 left in the fourth period. Continuing a 3-0 Iona rally, Desmond upped the Gaels' edge to two, 11-9, but the Broncos answered to get back within one, 11-10, with 2:25 left. With three seconds on the shot clock, Morrison gave Iona a two-goal cushion, 12-10, with 1:18 remaining as Iona held on for its second season win.
Bucknell 12, Iona 9
Down by just two at halftime, the Gaels allowed a four-goal Bisons run to fall 12-9 in this evening's match despite goalie MJ Metzdorf stopping three Bucknell five-meter penalty shots. Penman led the Maroon and Gold with three goals on eight shots, while Rowe had two scores on seven shots. Sallas, Trujillo, Desmond, and Goldhammer had one goal apiece. The Gaels scored nine goals on 33 shots with two assists.
In goal, Metzdorf had eight saves on 20 Bucknell shots, including stopping three five-meter penalty shots, with 12 goals against. On defense, the Gaels made nine steals, with two each by Trujillo and Rowe. The Gaels blocked six shots, with three by Rowe.
Iona drew five Bucknell kickouts, including one five-meter penalty, while being ejected 12 times, including four five-meter penalties. Morrison was disqualified with three ejections in the third period. Iona won two of four swim-offs. Iona scored two goals on five woman-up chances, while Bucknell had two scores on eight opportunities. The Gaels committed five turnovers.
With 1:48 gone in the match, Bucknell took advantage of a woman-up chance to go up 1-0. Penman did the same to tie the game at one with 4:48 to go in the opening period. After Metzdorf blocked a Bucknell five-meter penalty try, Goldhammer put Iona up one, 2-1, with 3:20 to go. Two straight Bisons goals gave Bucknell a one-goal edge, 3-2, then Metzdorf stopped another five-meter penalty attempt. The Bisons went up two, 4-2, with a third straight score with 1:05 remaining.
After another Bucknell five-meter penalty try bounced off the crossbar, the Bisons took a three-goal lead, 5-2, with 5:35 to go. Fifteen seconds later, Rowe sliced the Bucknell edge back to two, 5-3. Rowe struck again on the Gaels' next chance to pull within one, 5-4, a minute later, but the Bisons answered to go back up two, 6-4, with 3:53 on the clock. On a woman-up goal, Penman sliced the Bucknell lead back to one, 6-5, but the Bisons tacked on another goal with six seconds left for a 7-5 halftime advantage.
Following Trujillo's five-meter penalty shot miss, Bucknell went up three, 8-5, on a woman-up chance with 4:34 left in the third period. Continuing a 4-0 run, the Bisons mounted a five-goal lead, 10-5, at the 1:35 mark. Just 24 seconds later, Desmond ended the Iona offensive drought to cut the Bucknell margin to four, 10-6, going into the final period.
A quarter-opening Bisons goal restored a five-goal, 11-6, advantage. Penman's third score trimmed the Bucknell edge to four, 11-7, then Metzdorf blocked her third five-meter penalty try with 5:45 left. Following another Bisons score, Trujillo found the back of the net to get the Gaels back within four, 12-8, with 3:40 on the clock. Sallas continued a two-goal Gaels rally to cut the Bisons' cushion to three, 12-9, with 1:43 left, but the last-minute effort fell short.
UP NEXT
On Sunday, Iona takes on No. 13-ranked Harvard University at 12:30 p.m., looking to avenge last Friday's 12-8 loss.
