NEW ROCHELLE, NY – The Iona College men's soccer team topped Marist 2-1 on senior day at Mazzella Field. Josh Plimpton and Najim Romero scored for the Maroon & Gold in the victory, helping Iona clinch a MAAC postseason berth for the third straight year under head coach James Hamilton.

MATCH SUMMARY

A first half controlled entirely by Iona on both sides of the ball began somewhat slowly. There was an early bit of chippiness that set the tone for the two sides for the entire 90 minutes of the match.
 
Offensively, Iona dominated the first 60 minutes of the match; it began with a Josh Plimpton goal in the 28^thminute. The junior scored his third goal of the season on a pass from Najim Romero on what was Iona's fourth shot of the afternoon. Plimpton guided it with his right foot past Samuel Ilin into the right side of the cage after receiving the ball in the box from Romero. 
 
The Red Foxes tried just one shot in the first half, which was saved by Giuliano Santucci. The Gaels entered the half with a lead and the advantage on the stat sheet.
 
The Maroon & Gold had shots from Mauro Bravo, Esad Mackic and Romero in the opening six minutes of the half, two of which were blocked before they got on net. Then, in the 57^th minute, Plimpton would return the favor as Romero's shot into the top right of the goal gave Iona a 2-0 lead.
 
Less than three minutes after the Gaels padded the lead, a defensive mishap allowed Allen Gavilanes a one-on-one opportunity with Santucci. The through ball up ahead from Joao Avila was perfectly between Iona's two defenders and allowed Gavilanes enough space to finish, cutting the Red Foxes' deficit to one goal.
 
Iona's defense shined once again though, not allowing Marist to register another shot for nearly 20 minutes. 
 
With less than five minutes to play, Gavilanes tried a shot from outside the box that rang off of the crossbar over the outstretched arms of Santucci. Despite the near equalizer, Iona would avert any further danger and secure a crucial victory, clinching a spot in the MAAC postseason.

NOTABLE NUGGETS

• With the victory this afternoon, the Iona College men's soccer team has clinched a berth in the league's postseason for the third straight season.
• A win in the regular-season finale at Monmouth would lock up the number two seed in the conference, granting Iona a first-round bye in the 2019 MAAC Championship.
• Romero and Plimpton both finished with a goal and an assist.
• Iona outshot Marist 7-1 in the first half and 8-4 across the final 45 minutes.
• Santucci needed just one save in net to notch his seventh win of the 2019 campaign.
• Each side committed 24 fouls apiece, a new team and opponent high for the season.
• Of Iona's 15 total shots, just four of them were on goal, a season-low for the Gaels. Conversely, the Maroon & Gold limited the Red Foxes to an opponent-low five shots and two shots on goal in the match.

UP NEXT

Iona concludes the 2019 regular season with a trip to West Long Branch, New Jersey for a matchup with the Monmouth Hawks on Wednesday, November 6. The match will begin at 7 PM and will be broadcasted on ESPN+.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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)

Tweet #IMS
Tweet #MAACSoccer
Tweet #GaelNation