NEW LONDON, Conn. — The Iona University men’s water polo team topped the University of Toronto University, 16-15, and Penn State Behrend 18-5, at the 2023 Camel Round-up hosted by Connecticut College.
After giving up a one-goal first-quarter lead, Iona rallied in the final period for a one-goal win over Toronto which featured nine ties and four lead changes.
Senior Drew Miller and junior Luksa Vlasic led the Maroon and Gold with five goals each, while sophomore Rastko Jevdjovic had four scores. Senior Trippe Bauman and sophomore Coby Scanlon added one goal apiece. The Gaels scored 16 goals on 33 shots on eight assists with four by Bauman, including one leading to Miller’s game-winning goal.
In goal, senior Diego Gomez had 10 saves on 30 Varsity Blues’ shots, made two steals and alowed 15 goals against.
On defense, the Gaels made ten steals with two each from Bauman, Miller and Scanlon. Miller blocked one Toronto shot. Iona drew eight Toronto kickouts with two by Vlasic, including two five-meter penalties, while being ejected eight times. Scanlon two of four swim offs. The Gaels turned the ball over 11 times.
With 26 seconds gone in the match, Bauman got Iona on the board first with a five-meter penalty goal, but Toronto tied the match at one-all just 30 seconds later. Following another Varsity Blues’ score, Miller retied the game at two-all with 5:43 on the clock. The Gaels retook a 3-2 lead on Miller’s second goal with 4:17 remaining in the opening eight minutes. Toronto answered to re-knot the game at three-all, then Miller’s third score followed by Jevdjovic to restore Iona’s two-goal edge 5-3 at the 2:28 mark. With 43 ticks remaining, the Varsity Blues pulled back within one at 5-4, but Scanlon scored just 20 seconds later to put the Gaels up two 6-4. Toronto cut the Iona lead back to one 6-5 with three seconds on the clock.
Vlasic’s first score opened the second quarter for a two-goal 7-5 Iona edge with 24 ticks gone. Two straight Varsity Blues’ goals tied the score for the fourth time at seven-all with 4:46 on the clock. Vlasic’s second score put Iona back up one at 8-7 35 seconds later. Three straight Toronto scores gave the Varsity Blues a two-goal margin at 10-8 with 2:39 left to go in the firsthalf. Vlasic’s third goal sliced the Varsity Blues’ edge back to one, then Toronto responded with 25 ticks remaining for a 11-9 halftime lead.
Fifty-six seconds into the third quarter, Toronto upped its edge to three at 12-9, until Jevdjovic’s second goal got Iona within 12-10 with 5:06 on the clock. Vlasic’s fourth and fifth goals tied the score at 12-all with 46 seconds on the clock. Just 22 ticks later, Toronto briefly took a one-goal lead at 13-12, then with nine seconds left, Jevdjovic’s third score evened the match at 13-all heading into the quarter.
After the Varsity Blues retook a one-goal edge at 14-13, Jevdjovic knotted the game for the eighth time at 14-all with 6:08 left in regulation. Toronto answered, but Miller buried a five-meter penalty shot as the Gaels tied the match at 15-all with 5:32 to go. The score remained tied until Miller tipped a pass from Bauman into the back of the cage for a 16-15 lead with 1:43 to play in regulation. In the closing minute, Gomez stopped two Toronto shots, including a breakaway, to preserve the victory.
With 12 players scoring, Iona coasted to a 18-5 win in the late game against Penn State Behrend.
Miller and freshman Jayden Arana led the Maroon and Gold with three goals each, while junior Edward Imm and Scanlon had two scores. Senior James DiSalle, senior Jack Folan, junior William Harrington, junior Edward Howaniec, junior Luka Nastic, Vlasic, freshman Sean Mulcrone and freshman Christian Stecco scored one goal apiece. The Gaels scored 18 goals on 32 shots on 11 assists with three by Nastic.
Sophomore Aleksandar Slavkovic had three saves on 12 Lions’ shots, made two steals and one assist and had one goal against in the first half. Gomez had eight saves on 15 Lions’ shots and had four goals against in the second half.
On defense, the Gaels made 20 steals with three each from Arana, Harrington, Scanlon and Folan. Iona blocked three Behrend shots. Iona drew 10 Behrend kickouts with two each by Arana, Harrington, Imm and DiSalle, including a pair of five-meter penalties, while being ejected three times. Scanlon and Stecco won all four swim-offs. The Gaels turned the ball over 13 times.
With three straight scores in the opening 3:23 of the match, Miller gave the Gaels a 3-0 lead. Arana put the Gaels up four at 4-0 with 3:20 remaining in the first quarter. The Iona defense held Behrend scoreless in the first quarter. Continuing a 6-0 run, two straight Scanlon scores in the opening 1:04 of the second quarter gave the Gaels a 6-0 advantage. The Lions got on the board to narrow the Gaels’ edge to five at 6-1 with 6:05 remaining in the first half. Vlasic answered 46 ticks later, followed by DiSalle and Imm, to put Iona up eight 9-1 at the 3:22 mark. Unanswered goals by Harrington, Arana and Mulcrone sustained a 6-0 Iona run for a 12-1 halftime lead.
The Lions opened the second half with two consecutive scores to slice the Gaels’ lead to nine 12-9 with 6:13 left in the third quarter. Arana’s third goal put Iona back up ten at 13-3, but Behrend answered on its next possession as Iona led 13-4 with 4:58 on the clock. Neither squad scored for the rest of the third quarter.
Just 30 ticks into the final eight minutes, Imm’s second goal made the score 14-4. That began a 5-0 Iona run with goals from Howaniec, Stecco, Nastic and Folan for a 18-4 edge with 2:10 remaining before a Lions goal 10 seconds later closed out the scoring.
Information courtesy Iona University Athletics Communications
