VILLANOVA, PA - Leading the entire match by as much as 12 goals, the Iona women's water polo team notched its third season victory with a 16-5 non-conference win over Gannon University (PA) this afternoon at the 2026 Wildcat Invite hosted by Villanova University this weekend.
GAME SUMMARY
Senior co-captain Lola Trujillo, sophomore Mikayla Arthur, sophomore Grace Goldhammer, and freshman Fiona Rowe led the Maroon and Gold (3-6 overall) with three goals each. Senior Sadie Sallas, sophomore Nicole Morrison, sophomore Blaize Penso, and freshman Sarah Snider had one score each. The Gaels scored 16 goals on 29 shots with ten assists, including two each by junior Maleah Penman and sophomore Ella Ferguson.
In goal, freshman MJ Metzdorf had ten saves on 12 Gannon shots, two assists, one steal, and five goals against. On defense, the Gaels made eight steals, with three by Trujillo. The Gaels blocked two shots. Iona drew eight Gannon kickouts, including one five-meter penalty, while being ejected ten times, including one five-meter penalty.
Trujillo won all four swim-offs. Iona scored two goals on eight woman-up chances, while Gannon did not score on eight chances. The Gaels turned the ball over 11 times.
Rowe needed just 20 seconds into the match to give Iona a 1-0 lead. Trujillo followed on a pool-length assist by Metzdorf for a two-goal, 2-0 advantage with 6:53 remaining in the opening period. Two straight Iona scores by Sallas on a five-meter penalty shot and Goldhammer put the Gaels up 4-0 with 4:20 on the clock. With 12 ticks left, Arthur gave Iona a six-goal edge at 6-0 as the Gaels held the Golden Knights scoreless in the first period.
Rowe and Penso continued Iona's eight-goal run for an 8-0 Gaels advantage with 3:59 left in the second period. Gannon got on the board 14 seconds later to cut the Iona lead to eight, 8-1. In the closing 3:15, Arthur's second and third goals gave the Gaels a nine-score margin, 10-1, at halftime.
On Goldhammer's second score and Trujillo's third, the Gaels built an 11-goal, 12-1 cushion with 3:54 left in the third period. Following a Gannon five-meter penalty goal, Goldhammer found the back of the net for a hat trick as Iona led 13-2 with 3:20 on the clock. After Snider landed her first Iona goal with 1:20 left, Gannon answered to slice the Gaels' edge to 11, 14-3, going into the final period.
Fifty-four seconds into the final period, Gannon got back within ten, 14-4. Continuing a 3-0 run, the Golden Knights cut the Gaels' edge to nine, 14-5, with 2:18 left, but Morrison answered, followed by Rowe's third score with 1:03 left to seal the 16-5 win.
COACH THOUGHTS
While disappointed with yesterday's two losses, Iona head coach Brian Kelly was positive about his "very young team" having learned from a "positive experience" early in the season. "It's been a busy start to the season," Kelly said. "We did a lot of good things this weekend, and we did a lot of things that we learned from. We're a very young team, having 14 of 16 players in their first two years of playing college water polo. We are a very different team week by week as we gain positive experience."
UP NEXT
On Saturday, the Gaels travel to Princeton University to take on the number-13-ranked (tie) Tigers in a non-conference match at 1 p.m.
