NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. — Iona University finished 1-1 on the day as the Gaels took a 14-7 setback versus No. 9-ranked Princeton University in a Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) match prior to doubling up Connecticut College, 18-9, in a non-conference contest at home in Hynes Pool.
Down by a single goal midway through the third quarter against Princeton, the Gaels were outscored 7-1 the rest of the way, resulting in a 14-7 conference loss to the Top-10 Tigers. Freshmen Charlie Harbour and Jack Robison led the Maroon and Gold (5-11 overall, 1-3 NWPC) with two goals each. Junior co-captain Pavle Musikic, sophomore Samson Williams and freshman Christian Couch added one score each.
In goal, junior Eric Caplener had five saves, two steals, and seven goals against in the first and third quarters. Junior co-captain PJ Bartzen notched two steals along with seven goals against in the second and fourth quarters.
The Gaels scored seven goals on 23 shots and made five assists. On defense, the team made seven steals, with two by Williams. Iona drew seven kickouts, with three by Musikic, while being ejected nine times, including two five-meter penalties. Iona committed 18 turnovers and scored three man-up goals on six chances, while Princeton scored three man-up goals on seven chances. Grady won three-of-four sprints.
With 41 seconds gone in the match, the Tigers got on the board first, then scored again for a 2-0 edge with 6:09 left in the opening eight minutes. Musikic cut the visitors’ lead back to one just 21 ticks later, but Princeton answered to go back up two, 3-1, with 5:28 on the clock. Robinson’s first score got Iona within one, 3-2, then Princeton regained a two-goal cushion, 4-2, at the 3:15 mark. Williams sliced the Princeton advantage to one, 4-3, but a Tigers’ tally put the visitors up by two, 5-3, with 1:55 remaining on the clock.
In the second quarter, neither squad scored until Princeton struck. Couch got the Gaels within one, 5-4, at the 3:39 mark before the Tigers took a two-score edge 1:16 later for a 6-4 halftime advantage.
Harbour tapped in a loose ball that chopped Princeton’s lead to one with 29 seconds gone in the third quarter. At the five-minute mark, the Tigers went up two, 7-5. Robinson’s second goal pulled Iona back to within one at 7-6 with 4:29 to go in the frame. Two straight Princeton scores, including a five-meter penalty goal, gave the visitors a 9-6 advantage with 2:17 on the clock.
After a Princeton goal, Harbour powered in a rebound to slice the Tigers’ margin to three at 10-7 with 5:54 left in regulation. Four unanswered Princeton goals, including man-up and goalie-ejection chances, resulted in a 14-7 Tigers’ lead with 3:03 left as Iona managed just one goal in the final eight minutes.
In the late game against Connecticut, the Gaels led throughout the match with the entire active field squad seeing action.
Coyle, Musikic, sophomore Toni Vlasic and freshman Sage Mack led the Maroon and Gold with three goals apiece. Junior Daniel Raz, sophomore Zayden Garner, sophomore Colin Minehan, Couch, Harbour and freshman Logan Hardel each added one score.
In goal, Kyle Chin Lee had five saves on 19 Connecticut shots, three steals, one assist and nine goals against. The Gaels scored 18 goals on 32 shots and made 11 assists, with two each from Coyle, junior co-captain Brett Grady, junior Ryan Tannus, Minehan and freshman Tate Wilson. On defense, Iona made 16 steals, with three by Robinson. The Gaels drew nine kickouts, with three by Musikic, including two five-meter penalties, while being ejected seven times, including one five-meter penalty. Iona committed 12 turnovers. Iona scored five man-up goals on eight chances, while Connecticut scored one man-up goal on six chances. The Gaels won three-of-four sprints.
After Coyle got the Gaels on the board first, Musikic followed with two straight scores for a 3-0 Iona lead with 3:43 gone in the match. Hardel put Iona up 4-0 on the Gaels’ next trip down the pool with 3:09 to go in the first quarter.
Vlasic’s backhand goal, followed by Coyle’s second score, gave the home squad a 6-0 advantage with 6:08 left in the second quarter. After Minehand found the back of the net, the Camels cut the home advantage to six at 7-1. The Gaels answered with three straight goals from Mack, Garner and Vlasic for a 10-1 halftime cushion by the 2:50 mark.
Coyle needed only 36 seconds into the third quarter to complete his hat-trick, as Musikic did the same for a 12-1 Gaels’ edge with 5:02 on the clock. After a Connecticut score, Vlasic also earned a hat trick as Iona went up by eleven, 13-2, at the 3:42 mark. The Camels answered with three straight goals to slice the home lead to eight at 13-5 with 1:19 left. At the buzzer, Mack scored his second goal to restore a nine-score, 14-5 cushion going into the final eight minutes of regulation.
Following Harbour’s goal, the Camels cut the Gaels’ edge back to nine, 15-6, with two straight goals. Mack found the back of the net for the fourth Iona hat-trick of the match to stake the Gaels to a 16-7 margin with 5:16 to play. Couch and Raz answered Camels’ scores to seal an 18-9 win.
Despite excessive fourth-quarter turnovers in the loss to Princeton, Iona head coach Brian Kelly complimented his squad’s effort in both matches.
“Today was a pretty good day for the team,” said Kelly. “We played a very good game against Princeton, who is one of the best teams in the country, for three quarters. “We had too many turnovers in the fourth, and the game got away from us. It would have been nice to see what we could have done if we had better protected the ball. Good teams make you pay when you turn over the ball, and that’s what Princeton did.”
“The Connecticut game was an excellent defensive game for us, led by Kyle Chin Lee. We had contributions from our entire roster.”
Information courtesy Iona University Athletics Communications
