The Iona College lacrosse team opened up conference play in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) with a 19-12 loss at the hands of the Canisius Golden Griffins at Mazzella Field on March 29.

The Gaels (1-7 overall, 0-1 MAAC) took a 1-0 lead 57 seconds into the game when sophomore Mary Kate McCormick netted an unassisted goal.

The Golden Griffins scored nine of the next 12 goals to take a 9-4 lead with 11 minutes left in the first half. The Maroon & Gold narrowed the deficit before the break and trailed 10-8 at halftime.

Iona knotted the game at 10, but the tie sparked the Canisius offense, who reeled off the next nine goals of the contest.

Freshman Erin Pugh led the Gaels with four points (three goals, one assist). McCormick scored three times, and junior Meghan Testoni had a goal and an assist. Senior Maria Ortiz saved seven shots in 60 minutes of game play.

Prior to this loss, Iona closed out the non-conference portion of the schedule at St. Bonaventure on March 23. The Gaels won 12-5. After being tied at one, the Maroon & Gold scored five straight goals and led 7-3 at halftime.

Senior Nina Veneziale led all scorers with four goals. Testoni, McCormick and junior Bernadette Gennaro tallied three points apiece. Ortiz, who stopped 12 shots, got her first win of the season.

Three days earlier, the Gaels hosted Stony Brook University, who is ranked No. 17 in the country. The Seawolves won 16-5.

Stony Brook led 8-3 at halftime. After Iona scored the first goal after the break, the Seawolves piled on five straight goals to build a 13-4 advantage.

Testoni led the Maroon & Gold with four points (three goals and one assist). McCormick had two assists. Veneziale and Pugh each scored a goal. Ortiz totaled 10 saves in 60 minutes of game time.

Prior to this game, the Maroon & Gold traveled to Ohio to take on the University of Cincinnati on March 16. The Gaels fell by a final tally of 14-5.

The Bearcats scored the first two goals of the game and led 5-3 at halftime. After each team scored two goals in the first seven minutes of the second half, Cincinnati scored the final seven goals of the contest.

The leading scorer for the Gaels in the loss was Pugh with two. Testoni, Veneziale, and senior Nicole Brancaccio each scored one goal.

Prior to this game, the Gaels hosted New Hampshire on March 10. The final score was 12-3 in favor of the Wildcats.

Iona scored the first three goals of the game in the first three and a half minutes and then was held scoreless the rest of the contest. The goals were scored by McCormick, Gennaro and Pugh. Ortiz played the entire game in net and recorded 12 saves.

The Gaels were scheduled to host Fairfield on April 2; the results were not available at press time. They will begin a stretch of five straight games on the road on April 5 when they travel to Marist.