NEW ROCHELLE, NY - The Iona University women's soccer team defeated VMI, 2-1, on Thursday afternoon behind goals from
Kayla Thomas and
Emily Drake. The win is Iona's fifth straight and it marks the best start to a season (5-0-2) in program history.
MATCH SUMMARY
Iona had a multitude of chances in the opening five minutes of play, with three corner kicks in a 90-second span. Neither of the three corners led to any shot attempts until the 19th minute when Victoria Mule fed a pass towards the box that Thomas guided into the back of the net. The goal was her first of the season and the second of her career.
With a 1-0 lead in hand, the Gaels defense did its job by limiting the Keydets to just three shots in the remainder of the half. Emma Havrilla was up to task on the two of the three attempts that came her way, stopping both with relative ease. The final shot of the half sailed high and the Gaels took a one-goal advantage into the intermission at Mazzella Field.
A little over eight minutes into the second-half action, VMI's Cadee Hegarty was booked for a yellow card that gave Iona a free kick in the attacking third. Mackenzie Meixner launched one towards the net that Drake got a piece of with her body to score Iona's second goal. The Gaels capitalized on the Keydets mistake and made them pay, going up 2-0 in the 54th minute.
Late in the second half, a counter-attack by the Keydets led to a goal in the 84th minute. VMI applied pressure late, but Iona managed to bleed out the clock and hold onto a 2-1 victory, the fifth straight for the Maroon & Gold.
NOTABLE NUGGETS
- Iona opened up the scoring on the strength of Thomas' first goal of the 2022 season. Mule had the lone assist on the score, her second assist of the year.
- Drake netted Iona's second goal, which was also her second tally of the season.
- Despite the late goal scored by the Keydets, Havrilla earned her fifth victory of the season. She made three saves in a winning effort.
- The 5-0-2 start to the 2022 season is the best start for the Maroon & Gold in program history. Iona's five straight victories match the longest such streak in the team's history, which the Gaels set last season.
- Iona outshot VMI 13-5 and finished the contest with an 8-4 edge in shots on goal. The Gaels also held a 6-2 advantage in corner kicks.
- Iona improves to 2-0-0 all time against VMI, with both victories coming during the Todd Plourde era.
UP NEXT
Iona welcomes Seton Hall to Mazzella Field on Sunday, September 11. The Gaels and the Pirates are scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m. and the contest will stream live on ESPN3.
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)
