LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ - The Iona University women's soccer team defeated Rider, 1-0, at Ben Cohen Field on Wednesday night.
Myla Rodrigues' scored her first collegiate goal, the decisive goal, off a corner early in the second half.
MATCH SUMMARY
The early portion of the match was contested in Iona's defensive third for a majority of time. Rider had five set-pieces from the corner in the opening 22 minutes of play, though only two shots were taken by the Broncs, neither on goal. Kedarjah Lewis had the only shot on goal during that 22-minute span, which was saved by Ellie Sciancalepore. Iona had its first chance from the corner in the 29th minute, but it did not lead to a shot.
Over the course of the final 20-plus minutes of the first half, each side registered a shot on goal but each keeper was up to task and made the save. The match entered the half scoreless in New Jersey, though it would not be scoreless for much longer. Myla Rodrigues and the Gaels needed just 3:25 before finding the back of the net in the second half.
A set-piece from the corner delivered by Emily Drake led to a punch out from Sciancalepore. The ball went straight into the air and off a bounce, Rodrigues volleyed a right-footed shot up over everyone, including Sciancalepore, just under the crossbar and into the net to give the Maroon & Gold the advantage. It was all the offense Iona needed, as Emma Havrilla made two more stops, including one with five minutes left to seal it for the Gaels.
NOTABLE NUGGETS
- Rodrigues' goal was the first of her career and the first points of the sophomore's career.
- Havrilla made three saves, registering her third shutout of the season. She also surpassed Trista Rivera and is now the winningest goalkeeper (22 wins) in program history.
- The victory is Iona's first on the road in league play and improves the Gaels' record to 2-2-0 against MAAC opponents this season.
- The Maroon & Gold have now beaten Rider in back-to-back seasons and are unbeaten (3-0-1) versus the Broncs during head coach Todd Plourde's tenure. Iona had lost its previous six matchups with Rider before Plourde's arrival.
AROUND THE MAAC
- Mount St. Mary's 1 - Saint Peter's 0
- Canisius 0 - Siena 0
- Fairfield 4 - Manhattan 1
- Quinnipiac 4 - Marist 0
UP NEXT
Iona heads across town to visit Manhattan on Saturday, October 5. The Gaels and the Jaspers are scheduled for a noon kickoff at Gaelic Park in Riverdale.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Be sure to follow Iona athletics and women's soccer on all social media platforms:
IonaGaels: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube (E-Mail Updates)
Iona Women's Soccer: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube (E-Mail Updates)
