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Iona University Athletics

2023 MSOC Huddle
Joe D'Aloisio - Iona Athletics
2
Winner Rider RID (12-3-4, 6-2-2)
1
Iona IONA (12-4-0, 9-2-0)
Winner
Rider RID
(12-3-4, 6-2-2)
2
Final
1
Iona IONA
(12-4-0, 9-2-0)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Rider RID 1 1 2
Iona IONA 0 1 1

Game Recap: Men's Soccer | | Brian Duane / Assistant AD / Athletic Communications

Iona MSOC Falls in 2023 MAAC Championship to Rider, 2-1

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The Iona University men's soccer team fell to No. 3 Rider, 2-1 in the 2023 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship game on Sunday afternoon. The Gaels had a game tying penalty kick opportunity with 16 seconds remaining in regulation at Mazzella Field but were denied by the Broncs.

Iona finishes the 2023 season with a 12-4 overall record and its second ever MAAC regular season title. The Gaels finished with a program record nine league wins.

THE RUNDOWN

The championship tilt got off to a slow and methodical pace by both teams with just one shot assist from the first 24 minutes of action. Iona fired the first shot on goal in the 25th minute as junior Thiago Cagna sent in a shot from just outside the box but was denied by Adam Salama.

Rider broke open the scoring in the 36th minute as a redirected ball found the feet of Mono Diop in space. Diop took a couple dribbles and fired home a shot upper 90 past the diving stretch of junior Nacho Alfaro Monge for the 1-0 lead. Iona looked to answer in the 44rd minute as graduate student Camil Azzam Ruiz rifled quick shot near the right post but was stopped by Salama.

Faced with the deficit, Iona pushed the tempo out of the intermission with Azzam Ruiz stealing the ball in the Broncs zone. He found Cagna on a back footed pass for a shot from 18-yards out. The midfield curved the ball towards the left post and in for his second goal of the postseason and the tying goal in the 48th minute.

It was a tightly contested bout from there as both teams traded looks that missed just off target for the next 25 minutes.

Rider got the go-ahead goal in the 83rd minute as Babacar Diene, dribbled into the box and split a shot past two Iona defenders and into the back of the net.

Iona put together one last charge as the final seconds in regulation ticked down, drawing a penalty kick opportunity with 16 seconds left in the game. Azzam Ruiz sent the shot towards the right side and Salama made the right guess stopping the shot with his knee to seal the victory for the championship victory for the Broncs.

GOALIE/TEAM STATS

The final two teams left had a tightly contested battle on shots, with Iona holding a 14-12 advantage. The Broncs held a 6-5 edge for shots on goal in the contest. Both Alfaro Monge and Salama made four saves in goal.

2023 MAAC MEN'S SOCCER ALL-CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM

  • Iona was represented on the All-Championship team by Camil Azzam Ruiz, Thiago Cagna and Tim TImchenko.
  • Azzam Ruiz recorded the assist on Iona's goal in Sunday's championship match.
  • Cagna led Iona with two goals in the post season to push his season total to five.
  • Timchenko was the leader for Iona's backline and had the assist on the Gaels game winning goal against Manhattan.
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