NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. — The Iona University men’s water polo team opened its 2023 Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) schedule with a 23-7 win over Connecticut College and a 15-11 loss to No. 17-ranked Brown University at an alumni-packed Hynes Pool in celebration of 40 years of Iona men’s water polo.
With eleven Gaels scoring, Iona began its NWPC schedule against Connecticut.
Senior Drew Miller led the Maroon and Gold with four goals, while junior Edward Howaniec, junior Edward Imm and junior Luksa Vlasic each had three scores. Senior James DiSalle, senior Trippe Bauman and freshman Christian Stecco added two goals apiece. Senior Jack Folan, junior Luka Nastic, sophomore Rastko Jevkjovic and freshman Coby Scanlon all posted one goal. The Gaels scored 23 goals on 38 shots on 15 assists with four by Bauman and three each from Miller and junior William Harrington.
In goal in the first half, senior Diego Gomez had three saves on 16 Camels shots, made two steals and had five goals against. In the second half, sophomore Aleksandar Slavkovic made nine saves on 14 Camels shots and three steals with two goals against.
On defense, the Gaels made 22 steals with three by Vlasic and two each from Bauman, Miller, Howaniec, Nastic and Harrington. Imm blocked one Connecticut shot. Iona drew eight Connecticut kickouts with three by DiSalle, including one five-meter penalty, while being ejected four times, including two five-meter penalties. The Gaels turned the ball over 23 times. Iona scored on five of eight man-up chances, while Connecticut did not score on three man-up chances.
Miller opened the match with two straight goals, followed by Vlasic for a 3-0 home edge with 1:05 gone. The Camels answered two consecutive goals to slice the Gaels lead to one 3-2 with 3:27 remaining in the first quarter.Twenty ticks later Bauman’s score put Iona back up two 4-2. With 27 seconds remaining, Scanlon gave the Gaels a three-goal 5-2 lead, but the Camels scored at the buzzer to pull back within two 5-3 going into the second quarter.
Jevdjovic needed only 43 seconds to restore a three-goal Iona advantage at 6-3. Vlasic found the back of the net for the second time with 5:57 left as the Gaels went up four 7-3. Three straight scores from DiSalle, Miller and Vlasic continued a 5-0 Iona run for a 10-3 seven-goal margin with 3:25 on the clock. The Camels ended the Gaels streak with 2:03 remaining, but Stecco scored 15 seconds later for 11-7 Iona edge. After another Connecticut score and a missed Camels five-meter penalty shot, two straight Iona goals by Stecco and Nastic gave the Gaels a 13-5 halftime advantage.
Miller’s fourth goal with 6:08 remaining in the third quarter put Iona up 14-5, then Connecticut hit two straight goals, including a five-meter penalty shot, to get back within 14-7 at the 3:09 mark. In the closing 2:17, six straight Iona scores by Imm (two), Folan, Howaniec (two) and DiSalle gave the Gaels a 20-7 advantage going into the final quarter. With 3:51 left in the match, Bauman lobbed in a five-meter penalty shot for a 14-goal 21-7 home edge. Howaniec and Imm each followed with their third goals to seal the 23-7 with 1:34 left on the clock.
The concluding game of the day saw Brown build a lead and hold off the Gaels.
Down 15-7 going into the fourth quarter, Iona mounted a late-game four-goal rally, while holding Brown to a single score in falling short 15-11 in this evening’s match. Miller led the Maroon and Gold with three goals on nine shots, while Bauman and Vlasic had two scores.
DiSalle, Howaniec, Nastic and Scanlon added one goal apiece. The Gaels scored 11 goals on 28 shots on nine assists with two each by Harrington and Scanlon.
In the deep-end goal, Slavkovic had four saves on 17 Bears shots, made three steals and one assist, and had 11 goals against. In the shallow-end goal, Gomez had eight saves on 12 Bears shots and had four goals against. On defense, the Gaels made 21 steals with four by Bauman and three each by Miller and Vlasic. Iona blocked three Brown shots. Iona drew eight Brown kickouts with four by Vlasic, while being ejected eight times. The Gaels turned the ball over 16 times. Iona scored one goal on five man-up chances, while Brown scored four goals on nine chances.
With 1:35 gone in the match, Miller got the Gaels on the board first, followed by Scanlon on Iona’s next possession for a 2-0 home edge with 5:53 on the clock. Three straight Brown scores knotted the game at two each, then gave the visitors a one-goal 3-2 advantage with 3:59 to go in the opening period. Continuing a 4-0 run, the Bears went up two 4-2 with 2:32 remaining.Vlasic and Howaniec answered to re-tie the score at two with 1:10 left. Two straight Bears scores in closing 51 seconds gave Brown a two-goal 6-4 advantage going into the second quarter.
Brown mounted a 3-0 run for a 7-4 edge with 1:58 gone in the third quarter. Miller’s second score cut the Bears lead back to two 7-5 with 5:20 to go. Two unanswered Bears scores in the closing 2:47 gave the visitors a four-goal 9-5 halftime lead. Sustaining a 4-0 run into the third period, Brown built a six-goal 11-5 advantage with 5:53 on the clock. Two Gaels goals from Nastic and Bauman sliced the Bears edge to four 11-7 at the 3:14 mark. Three straight Bears scores in the final 2:47 gave Brown a seven-goal 14-7 advantage going into the fourth quarter.
After another consecutive Brown score, the Bears only fourth-quarter tally, Miller hit his third goal, followed by Bauman’s second, to pull Iona within six 15-9 with 6:36 remaining in regulation. Vlasic continued a three-goal Gael rally to slice the visitors’ lead to five 15-10 at the 4:19 mark. With 1:38 left, DiSalle upped the Iona run to four straight pulling the home squad within four 15-11, but the visitors held on for the win.
Release courtesy Iona University Athletics Communications
