NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. — Failing to score until 26 seconds left in the opening quarter, the Iona University men’s water polo team fell by a 19-8 score at home in Hynes Pool to No. 20-ranked St. Francis College Brooklyn in a Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) rematch of a 17-13 loss to the Terriers in Brooklyn last week.
Junior Trippe Bauman led the Gaels with two goals. Graduate co-captain Justin Ginsberg, junior James DiSalle, junior co-captain Drew Miller, junior Luksa Vlasic, freshman Matthew Mischlich and freshman Coby Scanlon scored one goal apiece. Iona scored eight goals on 29 shots with eight assists including three by senior co-captain Mohamed Refaat.
In goal, senior Kyle Laufenberg had 17 saves on 37 Saint Francis shots, two steals and 19 goals against. On defense, the Maroon and Gold made 13 steals, three by freshman Rastko Jevdjovic. The Gaels blocked five shots. Iona drew 10 Saint Francis kickouts, including one five-meter penalty, while being ejected 11 times. The Gaels turned the ball over 14 times. Iona scored four man-up goals on 12 opportunities, while Saint Francis made five man-up goals on 11 chances.
With 1:31 gone in the match, Saint Francis got on the board first for a 1-0 edge. The Terriers struck again on a man-up chance for a 2-0 advantage with 5:24 remaining in the opening period. The visitors recorded their third straight goal with 3:09 on the clock. With just 26 ticks left, Mischlich scored the Gaels first goal, but a last-second Terriers shot restored their three-goal lead 4-2 going into the second quarter.
After Saint Francis tacked on another score with 1:52 gone, Ginsberg narrowed the Terriers back to three 5-2 at the 5:16 mark. Three unanswered Terriers scores put Saint Francis up six 8-2 with 1:39 left. On Iona’s next possession just 23 seconds later, Bauman ended the Gaels offensive drought to slice the Terriers lead back to five 8-3 at halftime.
The Terriers went back up six 9-3 only 40 seconds into the third period, but Scanlon found the back of the net as the Gaels got back within five 9-4 with 6:50 remaining. After another Saint Francis score, Bauman’s second goal deflated the Terriers cushion to five 10-5 with 4:46 to go. Trading goals, Saint Francis answered, then Vlasic scored on the Gaels next chance as Iona pulled back within five 11-6 at the 3:45 mark.
After two straight Saint Francis goals, with 34 ticks remaining, Miller chopped the visitors to six 13-7 going into the final period. The Terriers opened the final period with two consecutive scores for a 15-7 advantage with 6:13 remaining. In the closing 3:10, the Terriers tacked on three more goals to seal the win as the Gaels failed to score in the final period until DiSalle’s goal with 41 seconds left.
Release courtesy Iona University Athletics Communications
