NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The Iona University men's soccer team kicked off its home portion of the 2025 schedule with a 2-1 setback to former conference foe, Monmouth on Tuesday afternoon. The Hawks struck first at Mazzella Field before the Gaels tied it up in the midway point of the second half but the visitors took advantage of a late free kick to seal the non-conference battle.
Sophomore
Alvaro Maneiro registered his first goal of the season for the Maroon & Gold with a penalty kick strike in the 63
rd minute. It was the fourth goal of his career. Sophomore
Fernando Alves Schmelz made four saves in goal for the Gaels.
GAME SUMMARY
The two former conference rivals were deliberate through the first 15 minutes of action with both generating two scoring chances. Schmelz was there to deny the Hawks in the 9
th and 16
th minute of action. Sophomore
Lucas Leite fired in a pair of shots on goal for the Maroon & Gold in the 12
th and 16
th minute.
Monmouth broke the tie game in the 23
rd minute on a corner kick as Jakob Friedman fired a long cross in for Damian Taraska to place a header towards the far post for the 1-0 advantage. The Gaels last scoring chance of the opening half came in the 36
th minute as rookie
Andres Becerra fired a shot towards the near post on a drive down the left side.
Out of the restart, the pace was slow as the Hawks fired in two shots that missed offline in the opening 15 minutes of action. The Gaels kicked up the intensity on the offensive end from there and eventually drew a foul inside the box in the 63
rd minute as rookie Andrey Bravo Mora was taken down going for the ball just inside the 12-yard box. Maneiro stepped up and buried the penalty kick in the lower left quadrant to knot the game up 1-1.
From there both teams were looking to get a shot at the go-ahead strike. Iona had a pair of shot attempts sail high over the goal while Alves Schmelz made two saves to hold the Hawks at bay.
Monmouth gained a free kick in the 82
nd minute after a foul just outside the 18-yard box occurred. Jasen Bottini fired in the free kick shot to the lower right side past the Iona wall and the reach of Alves Schmelz for the 2-1 advantage.
Iona on its back foot once again fired four shots in the final eight minutes of action with Monmouth's Otto Moosbrugger making a pair of saves on attempts by Maneiro and graduate student
Storm Schmidt Hollensted to preserve the final score.
TEAM STATS
- Iona held a 13-9 advantage for shot attempts while both teams were even with six shots each on goal.
- The two teams were also level on corner kick attempts with six a side.
- There were 24 fouls for the game and one yellow card given to both teams.
UP NEXT
The Gaels continue the homestand with a 1 p.m. tilt on Saturday, September 6 against Loyola Maryland.
