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Iona University Athletics

IMS MAAC Champions
3
Winner Iona ION (14-5-1, 6-3-1)
2
Saint Peter's SPU (13-6-0, 9-1-0)
Winner
Iona ION
(14-5-1, 6-3-1)
3
Final
2
Saint Peter's SPU
(13-6-0, 9-1-0)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 F
Iona ION 0 2 1 3
Saint Peter's SPU 0 2 0 2

Game Recap: Men's Soccer | | Jack Clark

#MAACCHAMPS!!! Iona Men's Soccer Beats Saint Peter's in OT, 3-2

Bravo, on a free kick, netted the game-winning goal with 12 seconds to play in the first overtime and the Maroon & Gold faithful joined the 2019 MAAC Champions on the field for an epic celebration.

JERSEY CITY, NJ – Facing a 2-0 deficit with 32 minutes to play and a trip to the NCAA Tournament on the line, the Iona College men's soccer team roared back to force overtime and eventually win its first-ever MAAC Championship. 
 
Regulation goals from All-MAAC First Team selection Mauro Bravo and the 2019 MAAC Championship Most Outstanding Player Josh Plimpton forced the extra period of play at Jaroschak Field. Bravo, on a free kick, netted the game-winning goal with 12 seconds to play in the first overtime and the Maroon & Gold faithful joined the 2019 MAAC Champions on the field for an epic celebration.

MATCH SUMMARY

The match began like any other Iona has been involved with this season; it was fast paced and there were challenges that resulted in fouls and yellow cards being issued. As the two teams settled in, Iona began to take control of the pace of play on the pitch.
 
Najim Romero was the benefactor of a penalty kick opportunity after the his shot came off of the hands of a Peacocks' defender in the 11th minute of the match. As Romero had done last week at Quinnipiac, he tried the right side of the cage, but Herman Wulff dove in that direction and with two hands, directed the chance away from net and kept the match scoreless. 
 
On the opposite side of the pitch, Saint Peter's had its first chance on net off of the foot of Jamie Davis. After the shot deflected off of a defender and got behind Giuliano Santucci, it was Joseph Cusano who cleared the ball off of the endline and registered the team save. Just over a minute later, Davis had another shot on net that was stopped, this time in the mitts of Santucci.
 
Momentum was not solely on either side by the 20th minute of the match, as both teams traded shots back and forth. Both keepers were up to task though, making six stops apiece in a scoreless first half between the last two teams standing in the MAAC.
 
Saint Peter's opened up the second half strong and the best offense in the league struck first five minutes into the period. Jordan Jowers, an All-MAAC First Team honoree, worked his way around the league's Defensive Player of the Year Malcolm Moreno and after his initial sliding shot was stopped, he regained his footing and fired a strike off of the crossbar and into the net.
 
Less than 10 minutes later, the MAAC Offensive Player of the Year, Dominic Laws, settled a loose ball in the box and rifled a shot past Santucci and the Iona defense to give the Peacocks a 2-0 lead early in the half.
 
The Gaels had next to nothing going on offense over the span of the ensuing 10-plus minutes of play. Continued pressure on the offensive end had not been rewarded until the perseverance of Iona's attack forced another penalty kick. Tomas Jamett corralled a loose ball at the top of the 18-yard box and tried to play it up and over the defender and it came off the hand of the Peacocks' player. Bravo converted on the team's second PK of the afternoon with an audacious, Panenka style shot over Wulff, who sprawled down towards the right corner of the net. The Maroon & Gold now trailed 2-1 with just under 17 minutes remaining in regulation.
Minutes later, Jamett received a pass from Eimantas Lotuzys down the far sideline and placed a perfect pass across the face of the goal for Plimpton, who headed home the equalizer to level the match in the 76th minute.   
Life was once again instilled in the raucous Iona crowd that traveled well for the title game and the championship would not be decided in the first 90 minutes of play.
 
A back-and-forth first overtime period saw great runs by both teams. Saint Peter's had the first chance at the game-winner; with three minutes to play, Tom Coulson fired a one-time rocket off of a volley that was sinking, but sailed just over the crossbar and allowed the Iona faithful to breathe a sigh of relief.
 
Then, in the final minute of the first overtime period, the Gaels struck. Moreno and Matt Hoyt met on a challenge in the middle of the field and Hoyt was whistled for a foul on a 50-50 ball with 15 seconds left on the clock, setting up a free kick for the Maroon & Gold. Bravo took the free kick for Iona; his left-footed chip bounced once in the box and skipped past Wulff and the Gael players and fans flooded the field to celebrate the golden goal.

NOTABLE NUGGETS

  • The conference title is the first in program history in the Gaels' third appearance all time. Iona earns its first-ever bid to the NCAA Tournament with the victory today.
  • The Gaels lost to the Peacocks in the 2010 MAAC Championship, which was the most recent appearance for the Maroon & Gold.
  • Iona's ride to the league title saw them go through last year's champions (No. 6 Rider), last year's runner-up (No. 2 Quinnipiac) and this year's regular-season champions (No. 1 Saint Peter's).
  • The Maroon & Gold are the first team in league history to overcome a two-goal deficit and win the MAAC final. The Gaels are the first program to win in overtime, not by virtue of penalty kicks, since Niagara in 2012.
  • Iona is the first No. 3 seed to win the MAAC title since the three-seeded Purple Eagles became champions in 2012.
  • Selected to finish sixth overall in the league's preseason coaches' poll, the Gaels ended the season on top of the table. The last MAAC program to accomplish that feat was Quinnipiac in their 2013 championship season.
  • Bravo's two goals pushed his season total to 11; he is the first member of the Maroon & Gold to score double-digit goals since Nacho Maganto scored 11 in 2014. Bravo's 28 points this season are the most since Franklin Castellanos registered 31 in 2013.
  • Plimpton's header tied the match at two apiece and was his third goal in as many games during the MAAC postseason.
  • Jamett and Lotuzys assisted on Plimpton's game-tying goal in the 76th minute. Jamett was credited with the primary assist after perfectly placing a cross to the far side of the box.
  • Bravo, Romero and Moreno were named to the All-MAAC Tournament Team following the match. Plimpton was awarded the MAAC Most Outstanding Player honor, having tallied a goal in all three postseason matches.

UP NEXT

Iona awaits its destination for the NCAA Tournament. The 2019 NCAA Selection Show will be streamed live on NCAA.com on Monday, November 18 at 1:00 p.m. All first round games will be played on Thursday, November 21 at the site of the higher seed.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Stay tuned to ICGaels and be sure to follow Iona College athletics and men's soccer on all social media platforms:  
ICGaels: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram (Email Updates)  
Iona Men's Soccer: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram (Email Updates)



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