The Iona College men’s water polo team had a tough match against Harvard University, losing 13-9 by the final whistle on Oct. 1.

“When you start at home down 4-1, it makes it difficult to win,” head coach Brian Kelly said.

The first period did not end well, with Harvard putting four goals past the Gaels. The Gaels could not keep up with Harvard’s fast ball movement and efficient shots.

Iona played a better game in the second period, scoring three goals against Harvard, but it wasn’t enough as Harvard tallied four more goals, leaving the first half at 8-4.

“We need to release and get open for each other a bit better,” Kelly said. “That was our problem the first quarter.”

The third period had a glimpse of redemption during the early stages, when the Gaels held Harvard at bay and scored two goals in quick succession. That said, Harvard stood strong, working around Iona’s defense and scoring two goals themselves.

The Gaels attack could not find the net for the remainder of the period, resulting in a 10-6 score line by the end of the period.

“Turnovers lead to counter-attacks,” Kelly said. “That’s the biggest focus this team needs to address.”

The fourth period went well in terms of attack as Iona scored three goals. However, Harvard scored three goals to steal a victory.

Losing the ball was definitely a major issue throughout the game, a fact Kelly acknowledges when speaking about the loss.

“We had 21 turnovers that game, 21 lost opportunities to score the ball,” Kelly said. “It’s very easy to know what the problem is, now we have to fix it.”

The next game for the Gaels is on Oct. 5 against the University of La Verne in La Verne, California. Kelly is determined to get results at the next few matches.

“We know what we need to do to succeed,” Kelly said. “We need to get back to practicing hard.”