COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — In a see-saw match that featured four lead changes and nine ties, the Iona University men’s water polo team had a three-game non-conference win streak snapped via a last-second 14-13 loss to Division III No. 8-ranked the University of Redlands at the Rare Air Challenge hosted by the United States Air Force Academy.
Junior co-captain Andrew Miller and senior Lester Machado led the Gaels with three goals each, while sophomore Luksa Vlasic and freshman Sole Fratila both scored two goals. Senior co-captain Mohamed Refaat, junior Trippe Bauman and freshman Rastko Jevdjovic all accounted for solo markers. Iona made 13 goals on 32 shots with eight assists.
In goal, junior Diego Gomez had eight saves on 25 Bulldogs’ shots, made one steal and allowed 13 goals.
On defense, the Maroon and Gold posted eight steals with two each from Fratila and freshman Coby Scanlon. The team blocked four shots with two each from Refaat and Jevdjovic. Iona drew nine kickouts with four kickouts drawn by Vlasic and three by Scanlon, while being ejected eight times. The Gaels turned the ball over six times and scored three goals on seven man-up chances. The Bulldogs scored five goals on eight man-up opportunities.
Redlands got on the board first courtesy a five-meter penalty goal with 41 seconds gone in the match. Jevdjovic answered on the Gaels’ next possession to tie the score at one-all with 6:56 left in the opening quarter. With 3:04 to go, Iona took the lead 2-1 on Miller’s goal. Redlands retied the game at two with 1:14 on the clock, but Bauman put Iona up one at 3-2 just 21 ticks later going into the second quarter.
A Redlands’ score with 46 seconds gone in the second quarter knotted the game for the third time at three-all. Iona retook a one-goal edge on Fratila’s first goal with 5:55 remaining, but consecutive strikes allowed Redlands to pull ahead 5-4 at the 1:11 mark. On the Gaels’ next possession 30 seconds later, Fratila’s second score resulted in a five-all halftime tie.
With 1:32 gone in the third quarter, Miller’s second score put Iona back up one at 6-5. Refaat followed on the Gaels’ next trip down the pool for a two-goal edge at 7-5 with 5:03 left on the clock. A Redlands’ five-meter penalty goal pulled the Bulldogs back within one at 7-6 only five ticks later. Another Bulldogs’ goal produced a seven-all tie with 4:12 remaining. Two straight Gaels’ scores from Machado and Miller allowed Iona to acquire a two-goal at 9-7 with 3:27 left in the third quarter.
Following a Redlands’ goal, Vlasic built a two-score Iona margin with 2:42 remaining in the third quarter. In the closing 55 seconds, two unanswered Bulldogs’ scores, including a man-up goal with one tick left, resulted in a ten-all tie heading into the final eight minutes of regulation.
Iona retook a one-goal edge with 28 seconds into the fourth quarter courtesy another Vlasic tally. After Machado’s second goal put the Gaels back up two at 12-10, the Bulldogs answered to slice Iona’s edge back to 12-11 with 5:41 left in the contest.
Redlands balanced the scoreboard for the eighth time at 12-all then acquired a 13-12 lead with 1:45 to play. Machado’s third goal with 15 ticks left knotted the score at 13-all, but the Bulldogs scored on a man-up chance with two seconds remaining for the win as a last-second Iona shot fell short.
Release courtesy Iona College Athletics Communications
