EASTON, Mass.— The Iona University men's soccer team suffered its first defeat of the season on Saturday afternoon, falling to Stonehill, 2-1. Senior
Tim Timchenko tied the game in the 63
rd minute on a header off a free kick but the Skyhawks drew a late penalty kick goal to take the non-conference matchup at W.B. Mason Stadium.
Sophomore
Jad Benjelloun recorded his second assist of the season with the cross to Timchenko in the box on the free kick set piece. The second half goal was Timchenko's second career goal.
GAME SUMMARY
Iona looked to pressure early, drawing a free kick opportunity just outside the box just 2:44 into the contest. Stonehill goalkeeper Tyler Sloan made the save on the rocket shot by junior
Sergio Gonzalez Fernandez.
The Skyhawks quickly got momentum going on their home turf, forcing senior
Michael Hesse to make a save near the left post in the 7
th minute of action. Stonehill then broke open the scoring in the 13
th minute as Tiago Lima-Bittencourt fired a left footed shot to the far corner off the post for the 1-0 lead.
The Gaels in pressure mode kept control of the tempo as the opening half wore on as the team looked to tie the game up. Rookie duo
Alvaro Maneiro and
Antony Recinos nearly found the tying goal on the connection five yards
Out of the halftime break, Iona's attack continued to mount in the Skyhawks end. The team fired off seven shots in the first eight minutes out of the intermission with Sloan making three big stops.
The Gaels drew a foul in the 62
nd minute on a late slide tackle setting up Benjelloun for the free kick. The sophomore winger sent the cross into the box for a charging Timchenko to put the header past Sloan to tie the game at 1-1.
Stonehill finally got the ball working in the Iona end shortly after, drawing a throw in well into the zone. Iona was called for a foul just inside the 18-yard box on a hold, giving Stonehill a penalty kick opportunity in the 74
th minute. Colin Milliken buried the penalty shot to the lower right corner past the diving reach of Hesse for the 2-1 lead.
Iona looked to level the game once more on a corner kick in the 80
th minute. The cross into the box was headed by Timchenko on goal but denied by a diving stop from Sloan. Senior
Ricardo Senen Pinillos was there for the rebound attempt, but the Stonehill defense made save in front of the net on the follow up.
The Gaels continued to charge late to try and tie the game but were unable to find the equalizer as Stonehill walked away with the 2-1 home victory.
TEAM STATS
- Iona controlled possession for 65% of the game leading to a 23-11 advantage on shots. The shot total was a new season-high for the Gaels including a 14-3 margin for shots on goal.
- Stonehill made 13 saves with Sloan stopping 11 shots and the defense adding two. Hesse recorded one save in the first half for Iona.
- The Gaels tied a season high with nine corner kicks while holding the Skyhawks to just one corner kick.
UP NEXT
The Gaels cap the season opening five-game road swing on Tuesday, September 10 with a trip to Bryant for a 7:00 p.m. start at Beirne Stadium.