Men's Water Polo | February 22, 2021

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – La Salle men's water polo (2-1) rode a strong second half to victory on Monday, defeating Iona 15-11 for its second victory in row. Youth played a big part in the Explorers success, bolstered by strong showings from freshmen Veljko Kotarica and Kiahi Horan, along with sophomore Callin Chimilar. The Explorers are now above .500 for the first time in program history.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Iona got out to a rapid start, blitzing the Explorers for four goals in four minutes. Two tallies from senior Karl Miller halted the Gaels' run, but only momentarily as the home side would strike twice more before the quarter was finished.
• The outlook to the game changed drastically from this moment on. Two goals from La Salle kickstarted the second period; while Iona extended its lead back to four, Horan scored twice to shrink the deficit to 8-6 at the half.
• The Blue & Gold clawed its way back into contention out of the break. Chimilar saw to that with two straight scores to the tie the game up. The quarter then proceeded in a back-and-forth manner. Iona inched forward with a goal, two more from Horan put the Explorers ahead, then the Gaels pushed back with a pair of goals to go up 11-10. With less than two minutes remaining, goals from juniors Tyler Williams and Josh DeLillo put the visitors back on top, 12-11.
• The fourth quarter was defined by rookie goalkeeper, Kotarica. The Explorers would go on to score three more and cement the win, but there were moments when Iona strove desperately to get back into the game. They didn't manage a single score as the lengthy Serbian registered six saves in the final frame.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• The Explorers displayed resiliency after falling behind by four goals early on. Over the final three quarters, they outscored Iona 13-5.
• This was Kotarica's moment and he finished the game with 10 saves on 12 shots, a .833 save percentage.
• Horan, for his part, was everywhere and seems to be assuming a major role on offense. His final line: four goals on six shots, four assists, three steals and two exclusions earned.
• As noted, Chimilar registered a solid overall performance. A hattrick on six shots, three steals and three exclusions earned.
• Williams was the other big performer on offense and contributed to a third of all scoring with three goals and two assists.
• Miller and fellow senior Cole Strohson were the other Explorers with multi-goal games—the pair grabbing a brace. Miller added two blocks, while Strohson drew four kickouts.
• DeLillo had a nice and tidy day, registering a goal and an assist without committing a single error—the only player to do so.

UP NEXT

• The Explorers have some to-be-determined games on the near horizon, as things stand. Any updates will be posted on the website, as well as social media platforms.