NEW ROCHELLE, New York - Looking to close the 2016 regular season with a pair of wins, the VMI water polo team fell in its matches to Iona and Marist Sunday at Iona College's Hynes Pool in New Rochelle, New York.
The Keydets fell to host Iona by a 22-12 score in the morning session before a defeat to No. 25 Marist by a 15-5 tally in the afternoon.
(RV) Iona 22, VMI 12
Despite matching the host Gaels score for score in the second and fourth quarters, the Keydets allowed five Iona goals in the first period and seven in the third period to allow the Gaels to earn the victory.
After Rebecca Serrano scored a lone goal for VMI in the first quarter, Keydets Shelby Barkley, Serrano and Cecilya Lundy combined for five goals in the second quarter to match the Gaels' five for the period.
Although Lundy struck twice again in the third period, the Gaels picked up seven goals in the frame to put the game out of reach.
The Keydets would go on to score four goals in the final stanza to Iona's five. Lundy, Haley Scott and Natalie Rivas scored for VMI as well as Ally Van Valen, who scored her first goal of the season.
Lundy finished the match with a team-high five goals while Barkley and Serrano ended with two apiece. Iona's Rebecca Mathews finished with nine goals on 10 shots to pace the Gaels to the win.
No. 25 Marist 15, VMI 5
The Keydets kept pace with the ranked Red Foxes through the first quarter, trailing just 3-1 after one period, but Marist continued to build on the advantage throughout the match en route to the 15-5 victory.
After Barkley scored in the first quarter, VMI's Sophia DelBondio added another for the Keydets' two scores in the first half. Rivas, Barkley and DelBondio each scored a goal in the final two periods, but Marist's lead proved insurmountable as VMI dropped its regular season finale.
