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Iona University Athletics

Calvo-Salinas & Fernandez
Geraldo Rodriguez
1
Siena SIE (2-3-1, 2-3-1)
2
Winner Iona ION (2-2-0, 2-2-0)
Siena SIE
(2-3-1, 2-3-1)
1
Final
2
Iona ION
(2-2-0, 2-2-0)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Siena SIE 1 0 1
Iona ION 1 1 2

Game Recap: Men's Soccer | | Jack Clark

Calvo-Salinas' Goal Lifts Iona MSOC Over Siena

Eduardo Calvo-Salinas scored his first goal of the season, the game-deciding goal, in the 63rd minute.

NEW ROCHELLE, NY – The Iona College men's soccer team defeated Siena 2-1 at Mazzella Field on Saturday afternoon. Eduardo Calvo-Salinas scored his first goal of the season, the game-deciding goal, in the 63rd minute.

MATCH SUMMARY

Saturday's match started beautifully for the visiting Saints. An early foul in the defensive third of the pitch set up Siena with a free kick from a few yards outside of the box. Antonio La Gamba crossed in a ball that deflected off of the crossbar and towards Bilal Hersi, who headed home the first goal of the afternoon in the sixth minute.
 
The initial pass from La Gamba off of the set piece sailed out of the reach of Iona's keeper, Gabriel Cinanni, but stayed in play when it dinged off of the crossbar. Hersi was in the right place at the right time, capitalizing on the beneficial bounce and putting it past Cinanni as he tried to regain his footing.
 
After play resumed, Matias Morales tested Siena's Greg Monroe with a shot that skipped off the turf. Monroe easily corralled his first opportunity of the afternoon. The second shot he faced would be on a penalty kick for the Gaels. A foul in the box awarded Iona with the PK, which Lenworth Lopez stepped up for and delivered the equalizer in the 20th minute.
 
Siena registered the first two shots of the game in the opening six minutes of play, but had nothing going towards goal for the remainder of the half. After Iona's penalty kick goal that leveled the score, the Gaels also struggled to generate offense, at least on the stat sheet.
 
The two sides went nearly 30 minutes of game action between shots in the first half. Federico Russo tried a shot, which was blocked by Siena, with under five minutes to play. Camil Azzam Ruiz tried his luck twice in the final two minutes of action, one of which was saved by Monroe at the very end of the first half.
 
The early part of the second half saw the Gaels garner a couple of prime opportunities to take the lead, but the Maroon & Gold could not capitalize. Eddy Vargas checked in for Lopez after he cramped up and immediately found himself in a good spot to score his first career goal. His first try in the 50th minute was blocked away by a defender after a scramble in front of the net. Five minutes later, Vargas had another great chance, but it was snuffed out by Monroe.
 
Calvo-Salinas would do the honor of breaking the tie a few minutes later. The graduate transfer received a pass from Morales and made a nice move to create a little space inside the box, blasting a left-footed shot into the far corner of the net. The goal was his first as a member of the Maroon & Gold, and it was a big one.
 
Now trailing, Siena needed to kick it into high gear offensively. The Saints had been held without a shot for almost 60 minutes before Birgir Thorsteinsson sent one in the direction of Cinanni. The Iona keeper was up to task, making his first save of the afternoon in the 64th minute. It would be the final shot for Siena that afternoon.
 
Iona's backline did a magnificent job of locking down the defensive third of the field, allowing the Gaels offense to keep up the pressure. Iona registered the final six shots of the match, and though they were unable to find the back of the net, they kept Siena from finding the equalizer and walked away with their second win of the season.

NOTABLE NUGGETS

  • Calvo-Salinas' strike was the game-winning goal, his first of the season.
  • Lopez's penalty kick goal was his second tally of the season and was the third penalty kick goal of his career.
  • The Gaels owned a 15-3 advantage in shots and an 8-2 edge in shots on goal.
  • Both of Iona's win this season have come at home. The Gaels are 15-3-2 at Mazzella Field since the beginning of the 2018 season.
  • Iona's is now one of six teams in the conference with two wins this season. Five of the six teams, including the Gaels, have six points. They are all right behind Siena, who currently sits in third place with seven points.

AROUND THE MAAC

  • Niagara moved atop the table in the league with a 2-1 victory over Saint Peter's in Jersey City.
  • Manhattan downed Canisius, 4-2, at Gaelic Park in Riverdale.
  • Fairfield and Rider got underway at 7:00 p.m. in New Jersey.

UP NEXT

Iona hosts Quinnipiac on Monday, April 5 at 1:00 p.m. on Mazzella Field. Fans can watch the game live on ESPN+ and follow along via live stats.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Be sure to follow Iona College Athletics and men's soccer on all social media platforms:
ICGaels: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube (Email Updates)
Iona Men's Soccer: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube (Email Updates)
 


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