NEW ROCHELLE, NY – The Iona College men's soccer team is set to host a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference quarterfinal matchup at Mazzella Field for the second straight season. After finishing third in the regular season standings, the Gaels will take on the sixth seed, and defending MAAC Champion, Rider Broncs on Sunday, November 10. Kick-off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. in New Rochelle.
 
Sunday will be a rematch of the 2018 MAAC Championship First Round between the Brocncs and the Maroon & Gold. The Broncs left with a 2-0 win on the strength of two, second-half goals, en route to a conference title. Fans can purchase tickets for the Sunday afternoon playoff game through this link. 
 
Earlier this season, Iona and Rider played a thrilling matchup earlier this season at Mazzella Field, with the Gaels falling 2-1 in double overtime.
 
The Gaels finished the regular season in third place with a 6-3-1 league record, the best finish for Iona in head coach James Hamilton's four years at the helm. Iona outpaced its preseason projections on the strength of a potent offensive attack, which saw nine different players score goals as the Gaels finished behind Saint Peter's and Quinnipiac in the conference in goals scored.
 
The reigning MAAC Rookie of the Year, Mauro Bravo, has paced the Gaels' attack, leading the team in goals (nine) and points (23); one of those nine tallies was a game-tying goal in the 89^th minute against the Broncs on October 30. Other notable contributors include Lenworth Lopez (seven goals, two assists), Najim Romero (four goals, five assists), Esad Mackic (four goals, team-leading seven assists), and Josh Plimpton (three goals, four assists). 
 
Home field could be crucial for the Gaels, who went 5-1-1 at Mazzella Field this season. Over their last 16 home matches, Iona is 12-2-2 in front of the Maroon & Gold faithful. 
 
The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ and you can keep up by following along via live stats throughout the game. The winner of the match on Sunday would advance to play at No. 2 Quinnipiac on Thursday, November 14.

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