VILLANOVA, Pa. – The La Salle women's water polo team (1-0) kicked off the 2026 season in dramatic fashion, rallying from a 4-1 deficit in the second quarter to claim a 12-10 victory over Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference foe Iona (2-6) in a non-league matchup on Saturday night.
Junior goalkeeper and captain Lily Kirby faced 41 shots and registered 19 saves, which surpassed Emma Gurasich's 18 saves against Wagner in 2023 for the most saves in a single game in program history. Kirby held Iona to just one goal in the final quarter of play as the Gaels went scoreless for the final 7:42 of the contest.
In her La Salle debut, junior center Samara Eschleman led the Explorers with four goals and two steals. All three of Eschleman's third-quarter goals gave the Explorers a one-point lead, including her fourth goal of the game with 2:12 remaining in the third quarter.
Claire McCulloch, a freshman attacker, recorded a team-high five points in her collegiate debut, tallying two goals and three assists in the victory.
Freshman attacker Nadya Azzopardi delivered a hat trick in her collegiate debut, including the game-winning penalty goal with 5:24 left in the contest, which put the Explorers up 11-10 after the teams entered the final quarter with La Salle leading 10-9.
Senior attacker Grace Smith recorded three points, registering one goal and a pair of assists in the contest.
Center forward Paige Mitchell, a senior captain, added a goal and an assist and tied Eschleman with a team-high two steals. Mitchell provided the key insurance for the Explorers, scoring with 3:39 left in the game.
Iona jumped out to a 2-0 lead with 2:14 left in the first quarter. After junior utility player Andi Moriarty put the Explorers on the scoreboard late in the first quarter, the Gaels responded with two goals to stretch their lead to 4-1 with 7:46 left in the second quarter.
La Salle rallied back with four unanswered goals by four different players to claim its first lead of the game with 2:28 left in the opening half. The teams went into the halftime break tied at six, which set the stage for a thrilling second half.
La Salle will be back in action from Feb. 14-15 with a three-game set at the Bucknell Invitational in Lewisburg, Pa. The Explorers begin the event with a game against Saint Francis (2-1) on Saturday, Feb. 14 at 12:40 p.m.
