The Iona College women’s water polo claimed third place at the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championships, which ran from April 28 to 29.

The Gaels won three of the last games of the regular season to solidify a winning conference record. Iona entered the tournament as the third seed, going against second seed Marist.

The Gaels matchup against Marist on April 28 was tight during the first half. Iona kept the Red Foxes at bay with a 2-2 score-line. Seniors Devika Joshi and Hannah Schultz each scored goals. The Gaels kept up the hard work early in the third period, but failed to secure it later on.

During the third period, Marist was able to get the best of the Gaels as the team went on a three-goal scoring spree and took a 5-2 lead. Senior Karli Normand and Joshi both managed to score one past the Red Foxes before the period ended.

The Gaels tried to gain some momentum against Marist, but it was not enough as the Red Foxes managed to score one more, keeping the score at 7-4 throughout the final period.

Iona went on to play Virginia Military Institute in the third place game on April 29. The Gaels bounced back from a tough loss to Marist with a 9-7 victory over VMI.

A plethora of Gaels scored against VMI, including senior Megan Hofer, Joshi, Schultz and freshman Kayla Allen. Freshmen Laura Rockett and Jordan Van Reeken also found the net. The game was close throughout, with the lead shifting from both sides. Senior goalie Britten Vilander played an exceptional game with nine saves from 26 shots from VMI.

Three players were recognized for their outstanding play throughout the season. Vilander and Schultz were named in the All-MAAC First-Team selection, while Allen was named to the All-MAAC Second-Team.

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