Women's Water Polo | March 17, 2024

LEXINGTON, Va. – The La Salle water polo team (12-12, 2-1 MAAC) kicked off conference play with a 2-1 weekend at VMI. The Explorers won in blowout fashion over the Siena Saints and VMI Keydets, while falling in an airtight matchup to the Iona Gaels.
 
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HOW IT HAPPENED - SIENA (W, 19-6)

• The contest began with both teams scoring at a high clip. Siena got out to a 3-2 lead before the Explorers unleashed a scoring barrage, scoring four times in five minutes to close the quarter with a 6-3 lead. Sofia Kolovou scored four times in the first.
• La Salle continued to dominate in the second. Kolovou, Francesca Co', and Grace Smith all found the back of the net for the Explorers. Siena scored with 14 seconds left on the board to send the squads into the locker room with La Salle up 9-4.
• Siena opened the third with a goal. Casey Malone and Tatum Lomax scored two each to go up 13-5. The Saints scored once more to close the frame.
• La Salle dominated the fourth, outscoring Siena 6-0. Four different Explorers scored, Martina Bonnet Saez, Kolovou, Claire Durham, and Paige Mitchell.
• Kolovou scored six goals. La Salle as a team converted 19 of its 20 shots on goal.

HOW IT HAPPENED - IONA (L, 10-9)

• The first quarter was a defensive showdown, with only two total goals scored. Both in the first minute, Co' found the back of the net for the Explorers (1-1).
• In another low-scoring frame, La Salle managed to take a 3-2 lead into halftime via one goal each from Malone and Bonnet Saez.
• The game was broken open in the third quarter. Iona outscored La Salle 6-4 in the period to take an 8-7 lead. The Gaels scored three of the first four goals to open the third. Bonnet Saez, scored thrice, with Kolovou adding one as well.
• Co' scored on back-to-back penalties in the final period to give La Salle a 9-8 lead with 2:45 left on the board. Iona countered with two goals, including the game-winner with 45 seconds remaining.
• The freshman, Bonnet Saez, dazzled leading all players with four goals.

HOW IT HAPPENED - VMI (W, 17-6)

• La Salle took an action-packed first quarter, 6-2. Kolovou scored the first two goals of the game, followed by one from Bonnet Saez to put La Salle up 3-0. VMI responded with two goals, their only scores of the first half, but the Explorers were not done, scoring the next three. Bonnet Saez, Malone, and Co' scored.
• The Explorers continued to dominate in the second, outscoring the Keydets 3-0. All three goals were scored in the first three minutes. Co' added two to her total, with Durham scoring as well to put the halftime tally at 10-2.
• La Salle kept the good times rolling on the other side of halftime. Kolovou opened the scoring with another goal. Whitney Wood drained a pair to push the lead into double digits, with Grace Smith and Ella Tice rounding out the run. Sydney Smith ended the drought for the Keydets, Mitchell drained a goal with 15 seconds left in the period to put the Explorers up, 15-3.
• The final quarter saw the game even out as La Salle emptied the bench. Bonnet Saez and Tice found the back of the net, while VMI scored three times.
• Nine different Explorers scored. Bonnet Saez, Co', and Kolovou scored hat tricks.

UP NEXT

• La Salle continues conference play with a pair of Saturday games against Wagner and LIU next weekend.