ANN ARBOR, MI - The Iona College women's water polo team took eighth place at the 2011 NCAA Water Polo Championship after falling 15-9 to UC San Diego Sunday afternoon in the seventh place game. Tied at six at half, the Tritons rode the momentum of a 9-3 second half to the win.
The Gaels scored twice in the first three and a half minutes to take an early 2-0 lead. The two teams would then trade goals until a goal by senior Maggie Wood with forty seconds left put Iona ahead 4-3 after one. The Tritons would outscore Iona 3-2 in the second to tie the game at six after one half.
Iona would be unable to get any offensive momentum in the second half, particulary after junior Cecilia Leonard's third and final ejection of the contest. After Leonard's third ejection with 5:10 left in the frame, and Iona ahead 7-6, the Tritons would outscore the Gaels 9-2 to claim the six goal win.
Freshman Amy Olsen lead the Gaels with three goals while junior Mackenzie Mone and sophomore Alyssa Turza had two goals each. In their final game for the Maroon & Gold, seniors Wood and Sam Cody each had one goal. Classmate Kathleen Link made nine saves in goal for the Gaels.
For UC San Diego, freshman Sarah Lizotte had five goals and junior Kirsten Bates scored three times. Senior Hanalei Crowell and junior Jessica Tran each scored twice. Senior Felicia Orozco, junior Natalie Peng and sophomore Kim McComas each had one goal. Sophomore Allie Taylor had six saves for the Tritons.
Goals: Iona: Olsen 3, Mone 2, Turza 2, Wood 1, Cody 1
UC San Diego: Lizotte 5, Bates 3, Crowell 2, Tran 2, Orozco 1, Peng 1, McComas 1
Saves: Iona: Link 9
UC San Diego: Taylor 6
Ejections: Iona: Leonard 3, Wood 1, Olsen 1, Mone 2, Lauraitis 1, Turza 2
UC San Diego: Lizotte 2, Bartow 1, Orozco 1, Peng 1