Iona College women’s water polo Head Coach Brian Kelly is looking to mold the Gaels into a dynamic team going into the 2019 season. Kelly hopes to have the Gaels do better in capitalizing on opportunities when given, which is something that was a major flaw last season.

“We had trouble with our power play last year and scoring the ball, and that’s something we’re focusing on,” Kelly said. “We have a lot of talented shooters this year. It’s going to be a work in progress. We’re a completely new team.”

One barricade Iona couldn’t quite break through was Marist’s well-rounded team. Kelly emphasized that this season has a vastly different team compared to the last one.

“It’s going to be interesting to see how things work out,” Kelly said. “We have a ton of talent and we’re really excited about it.”

This year brings a lot of newcomers to the team, as seven of the 18 players are freshmen. Kelly looks to utilize their skills and capabilities to create a firm and dynamic team for the season.

“Every single one of them is going to bring a lot to the table,” Kelly said. “I anticipate all of the freshmen getting some time and potentially, maybe four freshmen starting. This is one of the more talented teams I’ve ever had.”

Besides the freshmen, Kelly is expecting a break-out season for some of his players. One player he specifically talked about was junior Jordin Hale, who is set to be the starting goalkeeper this upcoming season.

“[Hale] is extremely talented and dynamic,” Kelly said. “It’s going to be fun to see how good she can be after playing a full season.”

Another player Kelly mentioned was sophomore Jordan van Reeken. Van Reeken, who made the Preseason All-MAAC team, will be an offensive staple for Iona. Kelly expects van Reeken to be one of the top goal scorers on the team.

“[Reeken] is going to be relied upon heavily, probably as our leading scorer this year,” Kelly said. “It’s going to be fun to see what kind of dynamic she’s going to bring to the team with more put on her plate.”

Kelly’s plans include revamping the playing style of the team. The Gaels, who were picked third in the Preseason Polls, are excited to try out their new game plan during this season.

“Our job, in myself and [Assistant Coach Alex Williams], is to get us up to speed as fast as possible,” Kelly said.