NEW ROCHELLE, NY – The Iona University men's soccer team closed out the 2026 regular season with a 3-1 comeback victory over Manhattan on Senior Day at Mazzella Field on Wednesday afternoon. After falling behind early in the second half, the Gaels responded with three unanswered goals in the final 14 minutes to secure the win. Iona finishes the regular season at 4-6-6 overall and 3-3-4 in Metro play
THE RUNDOWN
Iona applied pressure throughout the opening half, out shooting Manhattan 8-5 and placing three attempts on target. Despite opportunities on both ends, the teams entered halftime scoreless.
Manhattan broke the deadlock in the 61st minute as Cristiano Marsilii scored off an assist from Paul Abbatiello, giving the Jaspers a 1-0 advantage.
The Gaels answered in the 77th minute when senior
Calle Sjoberg netted his second goal of the season, assisted by freshman
Rudy Figueroa and sophomore
Ricardo Vivo Calderon, leveling the score at one.
In the 83rd minute, Manzanares completed the comeback with his seventh goal of the season. Sophomore
Enbiya Bolur and Sjoberg provided the assists as Iona took its first lead of the afternoon.
Less than two minutes later, Vivo Calderon added an insurance goal in the 85th minute off an assist from Manzanares, extending the advantage to 3-1.
Iona held Manhattan scoreless the rest of the way to secure the Senior Day victory in its final regular season contest.
IONA PERFORMERS
- Manzanares recorded one goal and one assist in a game for the first time this season and netted his team best third game winning goal.
- Sjoberg contributed a goal and an assist in his Senior Day appearance, finishing with three points.
- Vivo Calderon netted his fifth goal of the season and recorded his team leading seventh assist of the season.
- Sophomore Josh Bells played all 90 minutes in goal, making one save to earn the victory.
- Bolur and Figueroa each registered an assist in the second-half comeback.
THE OPPONENT
- Cristiano Marsilii scored Manhattan's lone goal in the 61st minute and led the Jaspers with four shots.
- Paul Abbatiello recorded the assist on Marsilii's goal.
- Goalkeeper Philip Isaksson finished with seven saves in 90 minutes of action.
- Manhattan concludes the regular season at 3-11-2 overall and 1-7-2 in Metro play.
TEAM STATS
- Iona outshot Manhattan 20-8, including a 10-2 advantage in shots on goal.
- The Gaels also held a 7-4 edge in corner kicks, while Manhattan committed 15 fouls compared to Iona's nine.
- Manhattan goalkeeper Philip Isaksson recorded seven saves, while Iona's Josh Bells finished with one.
NOTABLE NUGGETS
- Iona scored three unanswered goals in a span of 7:37 to erase a one-goal deficit.
- Sjoberg registered his second goal of the season and contributed to two of Iona's three goals in his Senior Day appearance.
- The Gaels finished with a 12-3 advantage in second-half shots.
- Iona closed out its home schedule with consecutive victories over Fairfield and Manhattan.
UP NEXT
The Gaels conclude the regular season with a 4-6-6 overall record and a 3-3-4 mark in Metro play. Iona will now await the results of Wednesday's remaining conference matchups to determine postseason fate in the 2026 Metro Men's Soccer Championship. The opening round is scheduled for Saturday, November 7, with games streamed on ESPN+.
