ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The Iona University men’s water polo team opened the 2022 campaign with two losses as the Gaels dropped a 13-12 overtime decision to Mount St. Mary’s University in McDonough Hall and took a 23-7 defeat against defending National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Champion/No. 1-ranked the University of California in Lejeune Hall at the 2022 Navy Open hosted by the United States Naval Academy.
After leading by three goals in the third quarter, Iona dropped its season opener in overtime versus Mount St. Mary’s in a game that featured five ties and two lead changes. Senior co-captain Mohamed Refaat led the Gaels with four goals on five shots, while sophomore Luksa Vlasic tallied a trio on three shots. Graduate student co-captain Justin Ginsberg, junior co-captain Andrew Miller, sophomore Luka Nastic, freshman Coby Scanlon and freshman Edward Imm had one goal each.
In goal, senior Kyle Laufenberg made 12 saves on 29 Mountaineers shots. On defense, the Gaels made 13 steals with five from Refaat. Iona drew 12 Mount Saint Mary kickouts and two five-meter penalties with four by Vlasic and three by freshman Rastko Jevdjovic, while being ejected nine times. Iona scored four goals on ten man-up chances, while Mount Saint Mary’s scored three goals on nine man-up opportunities. Further, the Gaels turned the ball over 11 times and netted 12 goals on 25 shots with 10 assists, including three by sophomore Edward Howaniec.
With just ten seconds gone into the match, Mount Saint Mary’s scored first for a 1-0 lead. The Gaels finally got on the board with 1:50 to go in the opening quarter as Miller began a 3-0 Iona run. Scanlon recorded his first Gaels’ goal with 1:18 on the clock, followed by Nastic as time expired with Iona ahead 3-1 going into the second quarter. The Mountaineers sliced the Gaels lead back to one with 21 gone in the second quarter, but Refaat’s first goal on Iona’s next possession restored the Gaels’ two-goal edge with 7:08 remaining. After a Mount Saint Mary’s score, Refaat’s second goal gave Iona a 5-3 advantage at the 4:18 mark.
The Mountaineers answered on their next trip down the pool, but with 3:20 remaining, Imm’s first goal as a Gael resulted in a 6-4 Iona halftime lead. Thirty-one ticks into the third quarter, the Mountaineers got back with one, then Vlasic found the back of the net only 14 second later for a 6-4 Gaels advantage. Refaat’s third score increased the Iona edge to three 8-5 with 5:42, then Mount Saint Mary’s responded with two straight scores to get back within one 8-7 with 4:21 remaining.
Vlasic opened the final quarter with his second score 13 seconds in to put Iona back up by two at 9-7. Converting a six-on-five chance, Mount Saint Mary’s cut the Iona margin to one, then tied the score at nine-all 30 seconds later with 4:43 left in regulation. After Laufenberg stopped a Mountaineers’ five-meter penalty shot, Vlasic converted one of his own for Iona as the Gaels retook the lead at 10-9 with 2:06 left. With 1:29 on the clock, the Mountaineers tied the score at 10-all, but Ginsberg’s lob put Iona back up by a tally at 11-10 15 seconds later.
At the 44-second mark, Mount Saint Mary’s knotted the score for the fourth time to force overtime.
Mount Saint Mary’s regained the lead 12-11 with 32 seconds left in the first overtime frame, but Refaat’s fourth score with 2:02 on the clock in the second overtime tied the game at 12-all. However, the Mountaineers sealed their win with 48 seconds left prior to sudden death.
Despite a valiant effort at both ends of the pool, the Gaels fell 23-7 to top-ranked California in this afternoon match as Iona head coach Brian Kelly played his entire dressed squad.
Senior Lester Machado and Vlisac led the Gaels with two goals, while Ginsberg, Refaat and sophomore William Harrington had one goal each. The Gaels scored seven goals on 24 shots and had five assists.
In goal, junior Diego Gomez had seven saves on 22 Golden Bears shots in the first three quarters, including a five-meter penalty shot, and 14 goals against. In the third and fourth quarters, Laufenberg made five saves on 10 Golden Bears’ shots and had five goals against. Freshman Aleksandar Slavokovic had no saves on three Golden Bears shots, three goals against and two steals in the fourth quarter.
On defense, the Gaels made eight steals`. Iona drew 20 Golden Bears kickouts, including two five-meter penalties, with four each by Scanlon and junior James DiSalle, while being ejected eight times. Iona scored three goals on 20 man-up chances, while California scored four goals on nine man-up opportunities. The Gaels turned the ball over 18 times.
The Golden Bears opened the match with three unanswered goals in the first four minutes for a 3-0 lead. With 3:06 remaining in the first quarter, Vilsac got the Gaels on the board to trim the California edge to two 3-1. In the second quarter, California reeled off five consecutive goals, including a five-meter penalty shot for a 9-1 advantage with 2:23 to go. Ginsburg found the back of the net with 1:48 on the clock, but the Golden Bears answered for a 10-2 edge. With 43 ticks left, Refaat pulled the Gaels within seven 10-3 at halftime.
California tacked on six consecutive scores in the first six minutes of the third quarter, including a five-meter penalty, to lead 16-3 with 2:05 left. Machado capitalized on a six-on-four opportunity to narrow the Golden Bears margin to 16-4 at the 1:38 mark, then buried a five-meter penalty shot drawn by Scanlon with five seconds on the clock as California led 16-5 going into the final eight minutes.
After the Golden Bears scored with 32 seconds gone in the fourth quarter, Vlisac’s second score trimmed the defending national champs lead to eleven at 17-6 just 26 ticks later. Following two more California goals, Harrington scored at the 4:17 mark to slice the Golden Bears edge to 20-7. California added three more scores in the closing 2:42 to seal the win.
“We did a lot of positive things on both sides of the pool,” said Kelly. “We didn’t protect the ball enough and we wasted too many offensive possessions with turnovers. Good thing is we have a quick turnaround tomorrow so we can correct our mistakes.”
Release courtesy Iona College Athletics Communications
