Iona Slips Past Harvard Women's Water Polo in Sudden-Death Frame
Senior co-captain Monica Zdrojewski and the Crimson are 8-5 overall this season (photo courtes Harvard Athletic Communications).
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Crimson
women's water polo team finished the Harvard Invitational with a
loss at the hands of Iona at Blodgett Pool Sunday afternoon. The
Gaels nipped Harvard, 12-11, in sudden-death overtime.
Harvard (8-5) led by as many as four goals during the contest, but
timely scoring by Iona (4-3) put the Gaels back in the game. Iona
had the last chance in regulation, putting a shot from nine meters
off of the post to send the match to overtime.
With the score knotted at nine, the teams were set to play two
three-minute overtimes, per NCAA regulations.
Each team had multiple defensive stops during the first overtime
frame, until Harvard found the back of the cage for the only score
of the period. The Crimson and Gaels then switched offensive sides
during the break, as Harvard held on to a 10-9 advantage.
Harvard's Shayna Price
gave the squad a two-goal lead in the second overtime, as the
sophomore netted a score with just over two minutes remaining. Iona
quickly answered with a score of its own with 1:48 left to put
Harvard's lead back at one.
The Crimson took possession and ran the 35-second clock as much as
possible, before firing a shot that Iona's goalie tipped out of
play. With a fresh 35-second clock and just over a minute remaining
on the clock, Harvard stalled out the shot clock to give Iona
limited amount of time to get a tying goal.
The Gaels took over with 32 seconds to play in what was almost
certainly going to be the last possession of the game, needing a
score to send the game to sudden-death overtime. Iona got the tally
it need in the form of a backhand shot from the middle of the pool
that snuck past the right hand of Harvard goalie Ariel Dukes,
and barely by inside the post to tie the score. Despite 12 seconds
of time remaining, The Crimson could not muster a shot as the
stanza expired.
Iona won possession at the start of the fourth frame and quickly
ended the contest with the golden goal in the first 34 seconds. The
Gaels used a lob shot over Dukes that landed tightly into the back
corner to mark the final score.
The win gives Iona two victories over Harvard this season, as the
Gaels have a 2-1 advantage in the series in 2012. The Crimson edged
Iona, 14-13, in sudden death overtime Feb. 26.
The Crimson continues the regular season with a trip to California
March 11-17. Harvard will play five games in six days against some
of the nation's toughest competition.
