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NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. — Leading the entire match, the Iona College men’s water polo team racked up its first home win of the 2019 season in its final home match with a 16-12 non-conference victory over Wagner College at the Hynes Center pool.

Junior Andrew Brozovic led the Gaels with five goals, while junior All-America selection Patrick Hudak and freshman German Rodriguez scored three goals each. Junior Brett Hofer had two goals, and seniors Quinn Lloyd, Phil Wachowski and freshman Mohamed Refaat had one score apiece.

In goal, senior Jorge Andres Torres had 12 saves on 34 Wagner shots. He also added in three steals.

On defense, the Maroon & Gold made nine steals as a team, with a strong three coming from Lloyd. The Gaels also blocked eight shots; three by sophomore Justin Ginsburg. The Gaels drew 11 Seahawks’ kickouts, three by Brozovic, while being ejected 12 times. Ginsburg was disqualified with three ejections.

The Gaels scored on five of ten man-up chances, while Wagner capitalized on three of ten. Iona committed 13 turnovers but were strong on shooting accuracy scoring 16 goals on 29 shots.

Brozovic needed only 22 seconds to score his first and put Iona on the board first. With 5:41 left in the opening period, Wachowski upped the Gaels lead to 2-0 and Rodriguez followed it up with another net-rattler 75 seconds later for a three goal cushion. On their next possession, the Seahawks finally got on the board to trim the home team’s lead to two. But Brozovic’s second goal of the period put Iona back up three 3:11 left. The Maroon & Gold and Seahawks traded goals over the rest of the first quarter.

Two straight goals from Hudak put Iona up five 7-2 with 5:46 to go in the second period. After a Wagner goal cut Iona’s edge to four at the 4:09, Hofer’s shot bounced off the Seahawks goalie’s hand to put the Gaels back up five just 28 seconds later. Wagner scored with the final goal of the first half and Iona entered intermission with an 8-4 edge.

The visitors took advantage of a man-up chance 1:26 into the third period, then Brozovic’s third goal gave Iona a 9-5 edge with 6:30 on the clock. The Seahawks answered 13 ticks later, but Rodriguez found the back of the net on the Gaels next trip down the pool with 5:56 remaining. Back in the shallow end, Wagner cut the Iona lead back to three, 10-7, but Brozovic’s red-hot scoring gave Iona back a four-goal lead with 3:30 left. After another Seahawks’ man-up goal, Hofer’s second score put Iona back up four at the 1:53 mark. Nineteen seconds later, Wagner cut Iona’s edge back to three, 12-9, going into the final quarter.

The fourth quarter opened with Wagner scoring to trim Iona’s lead to two. Torres came up huge blocking a Seahawks five-meter penalty shot with 6:44 left, but Wagner’s third unanswered score pulled the visitors within one, 12-11, just 29 seconds later. After Lloyd missed a five-meter penalty shot, Refaat ended the Gaels offensive drought with a goal at 5:11, putting the Maroon & Gold back up by a pair. Again the Seahawks got within one, Brozovic’s fifth score restored a two-goal home edge, 14-12, on Iona’s next possession. After Hudak drew a Seahawks five-meter penalty, Rodriguez buried his shot in the net as Iona went up three with 4:11 remaining. Hudak hit his own five-meter penalty shot 53 ticks later to seal the win.

Release courtesy Iona College Athletics Communications

Collegiate Water Polo Association