BROOKLYN, N.Y. — The Iona University men’s water polo team was unable to outpace Long Island University as the Gaels fell short by four, 14-10, in a Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) loss.
Freshman Jack Robison led the Maroon and Gold with three goals on six shots, while junior Hugh Coyle had two scores on four shots. Junior co-captain Brett Grady, junior co-captain Pavle Musikic, junior Daniel Raz, junior Ryan Tannus and freshman Logan Hardel added one score each.
In goal, junior co-captain PJ Bartzen had 10 saves on 21 LIU shots, one steal and seven goals against. Junior Eric Caplener had no saves on seven LIU shots and seven goals against.
The Gaels scored 10 goals on 26 shots and netted six assists. On defense, Iona made five steals and blocked three shots. The team drew 11 kick-outs, three by freshman Christian Couch, including three five-meter penalties, while being ejected 11 times, including one five-meter penalty. Iona committed 18 turnovers. Iona scored three man-up goals on 12 chances, while LIU posted two man-up goals on eight chances. Grady won all four sprints.
With 1:35 in the match, the Sharks got on the board first for a 1-0 edge. With 3:25 left in the opening eight minutes, LIU struck again on a five-meter penalty to go up 2-1. After Raz scored, the hosts pushed the margin to 3-1 with 2:40 on the clock. Robison placed the Gaels within one, 3-2, at the 1:02 mark, but the hosts regained a two-goal 4-2 advantage with three ticks left in the frame.
Long Island went up 7-2 with 5:14 in the second quarter before tacking on three more strikes in the final 1:08 for a commanding 10-2 halftime cushion as the Gaels failed to score in the second quarter.
However, Iona outscored LIU by a 5-2 count in the third quarter.
Musikic dented the twine 23 seconds into the second half to end the Iona offensive drought, but LIU restored its eight-goal lead, 11- 3, on its next trip down the pool. Coyle and Tannus cut the home edge back to six at 11-5 with 5:53 on the clock before the Sharks took advantage of a man-up chance to go back up seven at 12-5. Grady found the back of the net to pull the Gaels to within 12-6 with 4:05 left. After Iona missed a five-meter penalty shot, Hardel sliced the home edge to five 12-7 with 38 seconds left before the fourth quarter.
Following a stretch of back-and-forth action, Long Island regained a six-goal margin (13-7) with 1:33 to go in the fourth quarter.
Iona refused to go down silently as Robison’s second goal of the game trimmed the Sharks’ edge to 13-8 with 2:19 left in regulation. Coyle rebounded a five-meter penalty shot miss to stuff the loose ball into the back of the net to make it 13-9 before Robison’s completed a hat-trick to get the Gaels within 13-10 with 50 ticks left in regulation. LIU closed out the victory, however, by putting away a final blow 21 seconds later to cap off a 14-10 victory.
Information courtesy Iona University Athletics Communications
