Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Events

View Schedule  
  Go Back

Iona University Athletics

Nicole Whitley
Anthony Sorbellini
1
Rider RID (1-0-2, 1-0-2)
1
Iona ION (0-1-1, 0-1-1)
Rider RID
(1-0-2, 1-0-2)
1
Final
1
Iona ION
(0-1-1, 0-1-1)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 OT 2 F
Rider RID 1 0 0 0 1
Iona ION 0 1 0 0 1

Game Recap: Women's Soccer | | Jack Clark

Iona WSOC Plays to 1-1 Draw Against Rider

NEW ROCHELLE, NY – The Iona College women's soccer team played to a 1-1 draw with Rider on Tuesday afternoon at Mazzella Field. Graduate transfer Nicole Whitley scored on a free kick in the 65th minute, which proved to be the final tally of the match.

MATCH SUMMARY

It was the perfect start to the match for the visiting Broncs, and a nightmarish beginning of the afternoon for head coach Todd Plourde and the Gaels. Rider found themselves on top 1-0 just 20 seconds into the match after Hannah Freeman found a rebound inside the box and buried a shot past Iona's Emma Havrilla.
 
It began with a shot from Hailey Russell after she found an opening towards goal; Havrilla stopped the initial shot, but it found the foot of Freeman who made sure to make Iona pay for its early transgressions. Finding themselves in a slight hole early on, Iona did not panic.
 
The Maroon & Gold settled in after an unsettling opening minute of play and began to create their own offensive chances. Samantha Hogan tried the first shot of the game for Iona, a try that was stopped by Ellie Sciancalepore. Graceann Murphy tried one of her own but it sailed wide right of the cage. Nonetheless, Iona was able to control the ball and continue to apply pressure to Rider's backline that was gifted with an early lead.
 
Rider's defense did a good job to limit Iona's space, despite working with its proverbial back against the wall in its own zone. The Broncs' Sciancalepore faced some more shots from Iona's attackers, but she was up to task in net.
 
Seemingly playing to protect its lead, the Broncs flipped the script when they used an Iona miscue to counter attack. Trying to make it a two-goal lead for the visitors, Ailish Martin had her shot attempt blocked away by a member of the Maroon & Gold backline. Rider used the change of field to possess the ball more efficiently on offense and create additional chances for its scorers. Russell again had a chance, but was denied by Havrilla in the 25th minute. Martin had another shot attempt find the body of an Iona defender in the 29th minute.
 
It was an uneventful end to a first half that started abruptly. The second half would prove to hold the match's difference maker. That difference maker was graduate transfer Nicole Whitley.
 
Whitley delivered the equalizer in the 65th minute on a free kick from just above the 18-yard box. The Freehold, New Jersey native curled right-footed shot up and over the outstretched body of Sciancalepore and into the back of the net, sending echoes of bagpipes throughout the Iona College campus and a sense of confidence into her teammates on and off the pitch.
 
Whitley, who had a shot earlier in the half ding off of the crossbar, perfectly placed this try that proved to be the final goal of the match. The remainder of regulation and the two overtime periods on Mazzella Field did not lack excitement however.
 
Each side had a plethora of opportunities down the stretch. Rider's most potent chance came in the 83rd minute when Lindsey Maslow's potential game-changing shot doinked off of the crossbar and out of play. Iona's best opportunity came off of the foot of Kiera Haggerty in the first overtime period. The sophomore dribbled down the far side of the field and launched a shot from well outside of the box that Sciancalepore needed to use every inch of her frame to get a hand on.
 
When all was said and done, the scoreboard read 1-1 at the conclusion of 110 minutes at Mazzella Field. 

NOTABLE NUGGETS

  • Whitley's goal was the first for the Gaels this season. For Whitley, it marks her first goal and points as a member of the Maroon & Gold. The first goal of her collegiate career came on August 19, 2016 at Rider while she was a member of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
  • The Gaels registered 17 shots in the match, their highest shot total since sending forth 19 shots in a 1-0 win over Canisius on October 26, 2019. 
  • Iona and Rider both finished with seven shots on goal. Each team saw a shot ring off of the crossbar.
  • Havrilla and Sciancalepore stopped six shots each in net. All six of Havrilla's saves came during regulation.
  • Iona had five chances at goal in the two overtime periods, while limiting Rider to just one.
  • The Maroon & Gold were without Faith Preziosi, who scored twice in each of her two career matches against Rider.
  • Rider's Hannah Freeman scored the inaugural goal of the match in the opening minute of action. It was the first of her collegiate career.

AROUND THE MAAC

  • Monmouth got back in the win column, defeating Saint Peter's 3-0 to move to 2-0-1 on the young season.
  • The Marist Red Foxes toppled Canisius, 3-0, in Western New York.
  • Manhattan's Lindsey Healy scored the golden goal in the second overtime period to help the Jaspers hand Quinnipiac its first loss, 2-1, in Hamden.

UP NEXT

Iona plays its first of four games away from home on Thursday, March 25 at Siena. The Gaels and the Saints will kick off at 3 PM in Loudonville.

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)
 


Print Friendly Version