HAMDEN, CT - The Iona University men's soccer team lost to No. 1 Quinnipiac, 3-2, in the MAAC Championship game on Sunday afternoon in Hamden, Connecticut. A furious comeback, featuring goals from
Aly Camara and
Elird Mero, fell just short in the waning moments of the conference championship.
MATCH SUMMARY
Quinnipiac got things started early when the MAAC Golden Boot winner, David Bercedo, connected on a header in the eighth minute. Alexander Stjernegaard fed a ball into the box off of a corner that Bercedo put home to open the scoring.
Camil Azzam Ruiz had four first-half chances that Quinnipiac keeper Karl Netzell stopped to keep his team in front. Netzell also stopped a shot by
Ricardo Senen Pinillos and was saved by the post on a
Thiago Cagna chance. Cagna's shot bounded off the inside of the left post and rolled along the goal line, nearly sneaking in as the equalizer before it was cleared by a Bobcat defender. After all was said and done in the first half, Iona trailed 1-0 despite its stark 10-4 advantage in shots.
The momentum offensively continued in Iona's favor to begin the second half. Azzam Ruiz played a back-heel pass for Matias Morales that he sailed just high in the 47th minute. The Bobcats would strike again in the 56th minute on a Noah Silverman strike after Iona gave the ball away in the defensive third. Tomas Svecula followed with a goal in the 65th minute to push Quinnipiac in front, 3-0.
Iona would finally break through in the 80th minute when Morales lofted a ball to lead Aly Camara into a strike that found the back of the net. Iona's constant pressure continued to create chances offensively for the Maroon & Gold. With just under two minutes remaining, Juan Alfaro Monge took a free kick from midfield that bounded around in the box and eventually found Elird Mero, who put one home to cut the deficit to one goal with 113 seconds remaining. Quinnipiac managed to keep Iona from securing an equalizer, narrowly escaping with the league title and the conference's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.
ALL-CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM
- Matias Morales scored the game-winning goal in Iona's 1-0 victory over Manhattan in the MAAC Semifinal and had the primary assist on the Gaels' first of two goals in the MAAC Championship game.
- Juan Alfaro Monge and Tom Fillaudeau were integral parts of a shutout victory in the MAAC Semifinal against No. 3 Manhattan.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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