NEW ROCHELLE, NY - The Iona College women's soccer team won its sixth straight contest, handing Rider a 2-0 loss on Wednesday afternoon at Mazzella Field. The Gaels shutout their opponent for the fifth time in the last six matches, getting goals offensively from
Andrea Ferrer and
Madison Lennon.
Originally scheduled for a 3:00 p.m. kickoff in New Rochelle, the two sides were forced to wait until 3:45 p.m. for the start of the match. Despite the late start, Iona's offense made things happen early. A foul near the bench sideline set up a free kick for the Maroon & Gold. Mackenzie Meixner played a long ball towards the six, which found the head of Ferrer, who beat Rachel Ross to the lower-right corner to open the scoring in the 10th minute.
Ferrer's shot was the first of the afternoon for either side. The next shot did not come until the 34th minute when Graceann Murphy was stopped on back-to-back tries two minutes apart. Rider's first shot was in the 37th minute, but did not force Emma Havrilla to make a stop. The shot came from Karagh Tait and stood as Rider's only one of the opening 45 minutes. The Gaels held a 1-0 lead at the half.
Rider played a much better second half, opening things up with a Chloe Fisher shot that missed wide left. The shots began to build for the Broncs, but they still could not find the target. It took until the 63rd minute and Rider's fifth shot for Havrilla to register a save. Six minutes later, the Iona keeper made another. Another six minutes passed and another stop was made by Havrilla.
As time began to wind down, Iona made Rider pay for its transgressions in its own defensive third. A turnover by the Broncs after an Iona throw-in led to a long try from Lennon, which bounced off the hands of Ross and dropped inside the far post, pushing the Maroon & Gold lead to two with just over a minute to play. The horn sounded and Iona officially finished the regular season with its sixth-straight victory and fifth shutout in its last six matches, clinching the number five seed in the MAAC postseason.
NOTABLE NUGGETS
- Havrilla made three saves, earning her eighth shutout of the season and improving the 9-7-0 in net.
- Ferrer's goal was her second of the season and sixth point of the year, a new career-best for the senior.
- Lennon's score was the first goal and points of her collegiate career.
- Iona has now registered clean sheets in five of its last six matches and eight overall this year, tying the program record. The Gaels have allowed just one goal over the last six matches, a penalty kick score by Selena Salas in Iona's 2-1 win at Quinnipiac.
- The Gaels last conceded a goal at Mazzella Field on October 6 versus Marist. Iona's scoreless streak in New Rochelle stands at 477:40.
- Iona is now 9-0 this season in matches that they score the first goal.
- Today's win marked number 11 of the season, the second-most in a season since 1992. That year, Iona won 12 games and the only MAAC Championship in program history.
- Selected to finish 10th in the league's preseason poll, the Maroon & Gold officially clinched the number five seed in the MAAC postseason. It will be Iona's highest seeding for the MAAC Championship since earning the No. 3 spot back in 2013.
- The Gaels' six-match win streak is its longest of the 21st century.
- Iona defeated Rider at Mazzella Field for the first time since 2009.
UP NEXT
Iona moves onto the MAAC Quarterfinals, visiting No. 4 Siena, the 2020-21 MAAC Champions, on Sunday, October 31 for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff. The match will be streamed on ESPN+ and fans can follow along live via live stats, as well as social media.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Be sure to follow Iona College athletics and women's soccer on all social media platforms:
ICGaels: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube (E-Mail Updates)
Iona Women's Soccer: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube (E-Mail Updates)
