VILLANOVA, PA - Down by a single goal, 8–7 at halftime, the Iona University women's water polo team failed to rally in the second half, resulting in a 20–13 conference loss to Mount Saint Mary's University in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference match this afternoon at Villanova University.

GAME SUMMARY

Senior Sadie Sallas led the Maroon and Gold (7–13 overall, 0–2 MAAC) with seven goals on eleven shots, while sophomore Olivia Weissman scored three goals on five shots. Senior captain Lola Trujillo, sophomore Mikayla Arthur, and sophomore Grace Goldhammer had one goal apiece.

The Gaels scored eleven goals on 34 shots and had ten assists, with five by sophomore Nicole Morrison.

In goal in the first three quarters, freshman MJ Metzdorf had five saves on 18 Mount shots, one steal, and 12 goals against. Halfway through the third quarter, sophomore Nicole Morrison had no saves on three Mount shots and three goals against. Goldhammer had no saves on one Mount shot and one goal against in the last minutes of the third quarter. Sophomore Blaize Penzo guarded the goal in the final period with one save on six Mount shots and four goals against.

On defense, the Gaels made seven steals, with three by Trujillo. The Gaels blocked three shots. Iona drew 14 Mount kickouts, with four by Goldhammer and three by Trujillo, including two five-meter penalties, while being ejected 15 times with three five-meter penalties. Redshirt sophomore Vanessa McNabb was disqualified with three ejections. Trujillo won all four swim-offs. The Gaels turned the ball over 12 times.

The Gaels scored seven woman-up goals on 14 chances.

With three minutes gone in the match, Trujillo got Iona on the board on a woman-up chance for a 1–0 advantage. The Mountaineers answered 1:16 later to tie the score at one-all, then took a 2–1 lead with 2:33 left in the opening period. At the two-minute mark, Weissman locked the game at two apiece. After the Mount regained a one-goal 3–2 edge, Weissman found the back of the net again for a three-all tie with 59 ticks on the clock. Two straight Mountaineer scores in the closing 48 seconds gave the Mount a two-goal 5–3 margin going into the second period.

Continuing a 3–0 run, the Mountaineers went up 6–3 with 39 seconds gone in the second quarter. Sallas cut the Mount lead back to two, 6–4, on a five-meter penalty shot with 6:32 remaining. Sallas struck again just 1:20 later on a woman-up chance to pull the Gaels within one, 6–5. The Mountaineers did the same for a two-score 7–5 cushion with 4:26 to go. A minute later, Sallas' hat-trick score sliced the Mountaineers' edge back to one, 7–6, but the Mount answered on its next chance to regain a two-score 8–6 lead with 3:15 left. Three minutes later, Arthur chopped the Mount lead back to one, 8–7, at halftime.

Weissman needed only 18 seconds for her hat-trick goal to knot the match for the fourth time at eight apiece. Two consecutive woman-up goals, followed by a five-meter penalty score, gave the Mount an 11–8 advantage with 5:31 left. On a 4–0 run, the Mount mounted a four-goal 12–8 advantage with 4:30 left. With Morrison, then sophomore Grace Goldhammer in goal, the Mountaineers continued a 7–0 run, including two five-meter penalty goals, to go up seven, 15–8, with 2:34 on the clock. With 1:26 left, Sallas' fourth score ended the Iona offensive drought, but the Mount answered to regain a seven-goal 16–9 cushion going into the final period.

With sophomore Blaize Penzo in goal, Goldhammer got Iona back within six, 16–10, with 56 seconds gone in the fourth period, but the Mount answered for a 17–10 edge with 6:08 left. Following Sallas' fifth score, the Mount answered, then Sallas recorded two more goals, including a five-meter penalty shot, to get the Gaels within five, 18–13, with 3:37 left. Two more Mount goals in the closing 3:05 sealed the Mountaineers' 20–13 win.

UP NEXT

On Sunday, the Gaels face Siena University here at 9 a.m. EDT.