VILLANOVA, PA - Despite close first quarters in both matches, the Iona women's water polo team fell to Villanova University 17-10 and La Salle University 12-10 in two non-conference games at the 2026 Wildcat Invite hosted here by Villanova this weekend.
Villanova 17, Iona 10
Down by just two goals at the end of the first quarter, the Gaels were outscored 6-2 in the second period, then could only get within four goals to fall 17-10 to host Villanova in this afternoon's match.
Sophomore Olivia Weissman and freshman Fiona Rowe led the Maroon and Gold (2-4 overall) with two goals each, while senior Sadie Sallas, junior Maleah Penman, sophomore Grace Goldhammer, sophomore Bailey Desmond, sophomore Ella Ferguson, and sophomore Anna O'Malley had one goal apiece. The Gaels scored ten goals on 39 shots with six assists.
In goal, freshman MJ Metzdorf had two saves on 30 Villanova shots, two steals, and 17 goals against. On defense, the Gaels made 11 steals with four by senior co-captain Lola Trujillo and two each by Sallas and Goldhammer. The Gaels blocked three shots. Iona drew nine Villanova kickouts, including one five-meter penalty, while being ejected 12 times, including one five-meter penalty.
Trujillo won two of four swim-offs. Iona scored one goal on six woman-up chances, while Villanova scored four on nine chances. The Gaels turned the ball over three times.
With 1:04 gone in the match, Villanova got on the board first for a 1-0 edge. Goldhammer tied the score at one apiece with 4:45 remaining. After Sallas missed a five-meter penalty shot, the Wildcats retook the lead 2-1 with a free shot at the 4:25 mark. The hosts tacked on another score with 2:09 left for a two-goal 3-1 lead going into the second period.
Rowe needed only 15 seconds into the second quarter to get Iona within one, 3-2, off of Sallas' steal/assist. Four straight Wildcat scores put Villanova back up five, 7-2, with 2:48 on the clock. O'Malley ended the Gaels' offensive drought to get Iona within four, 7-3, but the Wildcats answered twice in the closing 1:29 for a six-score, 9-3, halftime advantage.
In the third quarter, Iona outscored Villanova 4-3. Rowe's second score with 21 seconds gone in the third period cut the home edge back to five, 9-4.
Weissman's woman-up score just 44 seconds later got the Gaels within four, 9-5. The Wildcats took advantage of a 6-on-5 chance, but Weissman answered with her second goal as Villanova led 10-6 with 5:11 left. The squads traded goals over the next 1:03, with Sallas finding the back of the net as the hosts maintained a 12-7 margin going into the final period.
Penman opened the fourth quarter with a Gaels score, but the Wildcats answered on their next chance to lead 13-8 with 7:08 remaining. Continuing a 4-0 run with two woman-up goals, Villanova upped its lead to eight, 15-8, with 3:55 left. Desmond's lob cut the home edge to seven, 16-9, with 2:43 to go. After another Villanova goal, Ferguson scored with 44 ticks left.
La Salle 12, Iona 10
In a match featuring seven ties, Iona enjoyed a 4-1 lead early in the second quarter, but gave up four straight La Salle goals, followed by a seesaw match with the Explorers' 12-10 win this evening.
Weissman led the Maroon and Gold with four goals on eight shots, while Sallas scored three goals on 12 shots. Penman, Goldhammer, and sophomore Nicole Morrison had one goal apiece. The Gaels scored ten goals on 42 shots with one assist by Penman.
In goal, Metzdorf had seven saves, three steals, and 12 goals against. On defense, the Gaels made eight steals with two each by Trujillo and Sallas. The Gaels blocked five shots with two by Sallas. Iona drew 12 La Salle kickouts, including two five-meter penalties, while being ejected four times, including one five-meter penalty.
In the opening quarter, neither squad scored until Sallas fired in a rebound with 2:44 remaining for a 1-0 lead. Weissman put the Gaels up two, 2-0, on Iona's next trip down the pool just 30 seconds later. La Salle got on the board to cut the Iona lead to one, 2-1, with 1:43 left. Sallas restored the Gaels' two-goal, 3-1, edge on a five-meter penalty shot goal 15 ticks later going into the second period.
With 14 seconds gone in the second period, Goldhammer stretched the Gaels' advantage to three, 4-1. The Explorers pulled within two, 4-2, on a woman-up goal with 6:45 left. La Salle struck again with 4:28 on the clock to slice the Iona edge to one, 4-3. Continuing a 4-0 run, the Explorers tied the match at four all, then went up one, 5-4, with 2:28 left. Weissman's second goal just 16 ticks later retied the score at five. A La Salle lob with 14 seconds to go gave the Explorers a one-goal edge, but Weissman's third goal with two ticks left resulted in a six-all halftime tie.
In a seven-goal third quarter, the Explorers retook the lead, 7-6, just 52 seconds into the second half, but Sallas recorded a hat trick on a five-meter penalty shot to retie the match at seven all with 6:56 to go. After Morrison missed a five-meter penalty try, the Explorers went back up one, 8-7, but Morrison tied the score at eight with 5:38 remaining. La Salle answered, then Weissman found the back of the net for the fourth time to tie the match for the sixth time at nine with 3:24 on the clock. La Salle scored with 2:12 to retake a 10-9 lead into the final quarter.
Penman opened the fourth quarter by tying the match at ten with 17 seconds gone. La Salle's five-meter penalty goal with 5:24 left resulted in an 11-10 Explorers advantage. La Salle went up two, 12-10, with 3:39 to go and held on for the win as Iona failed to rally.
UP NEXT
UP NEXT
On Sunday, the Gaels take on Gannon University (PA) at 1:45 p.m. ET.
