NEW ROCHELLE, NY – The Iona College men's soccer team came back late to force overtime and eventually defeat Monmouth, 2-1, on a golden goal by senior
Lenworth Lopez. The Gaels trailed for the entirety of the second half before
Camil Azzam Ruiz netted the equalizer in the 76th minute, followed by Lopez's overtime winner in the 98th minute of play on Mazzella Field.
MATCH SUMMARY
In a first half that was controlled almost entirely by Monmouth, the Gaels were fortunate to head into the locker room at halftime trailing by one goal. The Hawks broke the ice late in the first half on a Liam McGregor goal that beat
Gabriel Cinanni on the right side.
Monmouth fired off four shots prior to finding the back of the net, forcing Cinanni to make two stops. The Hawks' Ben Zakowski found an opening in the defense, ringing a shot off of the post that the Iona backline managed to clear. It was McGregor's shot in the 42nd minute, on a pass from Griffin Tomas, that gave the visitors the edge on the scoreboard.
The Gaels did not concede though. An early substitution in the second half saw head coach
James Hamilton replace senior
Tomas Jamett with rookie
Elird Mero. The Gaels needed an offensive spark, and an energy boost, and Mero provided them with such. The Maroon & Gold began to click offensively and began to find a groove. Iona had some solid chances on goal, but keeper Sean Murray was up to the task. He made three saves in an 11-minute span, facing a barrage of shots from the Maroon & Gold.
Iona finally broke through in the 76th minute. Mero, hustling towards the sideline, turned and volleyed a perfect pass into the box that Azzam Ruiz headed past Murray, knotting the score at 1-1. With the equalizer in hand, Hamilton once again turned to Jamett, in need of his defense. Jamett and the Gaels held Monmouth off of the scoresheet for the remainder of regulation, forcing an extra period.
It didn't take long for Lopez to leave his mark on the game, and it was another freshman who created some magic for his teammate.
Daniel Curmi saw his first game action of the day when he was inserted into the match to begin the first overtime period. The rookie gathered the ball with a bit of space after a throw-in on Monmouth's end, fed a beautiful ball to the far side of the box that Lopez headed past Murray, sending his teammates into a frenzy.
Iona moved to 1-1-0 on the season with the win in its first match at Mazzella Field since November 10, 2019.
NOTABLE NUGGETS
- Lopez's golden goal was his first tally of the season and the fifth game-winning goal of his career.
- Azzam Ruiz, Mero and Morales all registered the first points of their Maroon & Gold careers in the win.
- Iona returned to Mazzella Field for the first time in 497 days, securing its first victory in 490 days.
- Cinanni faced nine shots in net, making three saves to earn his first win of the season.
- The win was Iona's first over Monmouth since October 24, 2018. In that game, Lopez scored the overtime winner in the 100th minute in New Rochelle.
- The Gaels have now won five straight against the Hawks on Mazzella Field. Monmouth's last win in New Rochelle was on September 4, 2002.
AROUND THE MAAC
- Quinnipiac moved to 2-0-0 on the season with a 1-0 victory over Niagara.
UP NEXT
Iona takes a short trip to Manhattan on Thursday, March 25 for a 3:00 meeting with the Jaspers.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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