JERSEY CITY, NJ — The Iona University men's soccer team concluded the 2024 regular season with a 4-0 shut out victory at Saint Peter's on Wednesday afternoon. The Maroon & Gold secured the program's second straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Regular Season Championship with the win and finish the regular season 8-4-3 overall and 6-1-1 in league play.
Iona finish tied atop the league table with Rider to claim a share of the league crown and with the 1-0 victory over the Broncs earlier in the season. The Gaels will hold the top seed in the 2024 MAAC Men's Soccer Championship.
The Maroon & Gold tallied four second half goals in the road win over the Peacocks. Junior
Sergio Gonzalez Fernandez scored the first two goals of the game for his first career brace. Rookies
Bautista Rossi and
Alvaro Maneiro capped the scoring. Senior
Thiago Cagna, freshman
John Oualaalou, sophomore
Jahiem Campbell, Maneiro and Rossi made up the point sheet for the Gaels with assists. Junior Loukas Gerogiou earned his first career shutout in his second straight start for the Gaels, totaling a career-high five saves.
MATCH SUMMARY
The first half was filled with missed chances and strong defensive plays from both sides. The Gaels were able to get off eight shots, but could not seem to find a way past the back line of the Peacocks. Georgiou was crucial for the Maroon and Gold in stopping two shots in the first half and allowing them to go into the break all even.
Coming out of the half, the Gaels attack were hunting to break the ice. Shortly after sophomore
Francesco Borla just missed over the bar, he drew a foul inside the box and allowed Gonzalez Fernandez to net his fourth penalty kick goal of the season into the back of the net and give the Gaels a 1-0 early out of the break.
In the 76th minute, Cagna controlled the ball and made a great pass to Gonzalez Fernandez, who found the back of the net for the second time with a stunning strike from outside of the box. The Madrid, Spain native brought his season total to nine goals, tying the league lead.
In the final minutes of the game, the freshman duo of Rossi and Maneiro continued their stellar rookie campaigns with the final two goals on breakout plays. Oualaalou and Maneiro picked up the assist on Rossi's goal in the 84th minute. It was Oualaalou's first collegiate point with the primary assist on the play. Rossi and Campbell both tallied their first career assists on the final goal from Maneiro in the 88th minute.
TEAM STATS
- The Gaels held a 17-3 advantage on shots for the game with a 8-5 total for shots on goal.
- Georgiou and Iona made five saves while Saint Peter's made four.
- The Peacocks led the Gaels with an 8-4 margin on corner kicks for the game.
Around the Maac
- Rider blanked Mount, 3-0
- Quinnipiac took down Fairfield at home, 3-1
- Siena handled business at Marist, 5-2
- Manhattan traveled to Sacred Heart and ended scoreless, 0-0
- Niagara fell to Canisius in buffalo, 1-0
Up Next
The Gaels will host Mount in the MAAC Quarterfinal round on Sunday, November 10 at 1 p.m. at Mazzella Field.
