SOUTH ORANGE, NJ - Freshman goalkeeper
Adriano Sofio posted a shutout in his first collegiate start as the Iona University men's soccer team battled Seton Hall to a scoreless draw in non-conference action at Carroll Field. Sofio made six saves over 90 minutes, highlighted by a penalty kick stop late in the first half, as the Gaels remained unbeaten through their first two matches of the 2026 campaign.
THE RUNDOWN
The Maroon & Gold created a pair of early opportunities on goal, with freshman
Manuel Gentile forcing a save in the eighth minute and sophomore
Ricardo Vivo Calderon testing Seton Hall goalkeeper Devin Armstrong four minutes later.
Vivo Calderon continued to apply pressure in the opening half, putting another attempt on frame in the 31st minute. freshman
Brayden O'Boyle followed with a shot on goal in the 41st minute, but Armstrong kept the contest scoreless.
Seton Hall earned its best opportunity of the opening 45 minutes after being awarded a penalty kick in the 44th minute. Sofio came up with the biggest stop of his first collegiate start, denying Til Kauschke from the spot to send the match into halftime scoreless.
The Gaels threatened early in the second half when senior
Jaime Roman Jr. put a shot on target in the 54th minute, but Armstrong made his fifth and final save of the afternoon.
Seton Hall pushed for the breakthrough late, putting three shots on goal over the final 15 minutes. Sofio turned away all three attempts, including Kauschke's chance in the 87th minute, to complete the shutout and secure the road draw.
IONA PERFORMERS
- Sofio made the most of his first collegiate start, playing all 90 minutes and recording his first career shutout. The rookie made six saves, including a penalty kick stop in the 44th minute to keep Seton Hall off the board.
- Vivo Calderon paced the Iona attack with a team-high three shots, placing two attempts on goal over 68 minutes of action.
- O'Boyle provided a spark off the bench with two shots in 30 minutes, including an attempt on target late in the first half.
- Junior Matias Garnier played all 90 minutes on the back line, helping the Maroon & Gold keep Seton Hall off the scoreboard.
THE OPPONENT
- Seton Hall finished with 10 shots and put seven attempts on goal, but could not break through the Iona defense.
- Kauschke led the Pirates with two shots on goal, including the penalty kick that was denied by Sofio late in the opening half.
- Armstrong matched the shutout on the opposite end, making five saves on five Iona shots on goal.
- The Pirates generated eight corner kicks in the contest, including five in the opening 45 minutes.
TEAM STATISTICS
- Iona held an 11-10 advantage in total shots, with six attempts coming in the first half and five after the break.
- The Gaels put five shots on goal, while Seton Hall finished with seven attempts on target.
- The Pirates held an 8-3 advantage in corner kicks, including a 5-2 edge in the opening half.
- The Maroon & Gold committed 11 fouls compared to 15 for Seton Hall.
- Iona's defense held strong throughout the full 90 minutes, keeping the Pirates off the scoreboard despite seven shots on target.
NOTABLE NUGGETS
- The draw moved Iona to 1-0-1 through the first two matches of the 2026 campaign.
- The Maroon & Gold remained unbeaten through two matches for the second straight season.
- Iona has allowed just one goal through the opening 180 minutes of the 2026 campaign.
- The Gaels have outscored their opponents 4-1 through their first two matches.
- Following the result Seton Hall leads the overall series 3-3-1 as the two teams located less than 30 miles apart met for the first time since 1987.
UP NEXT
Iona concludes its season-opening three-game road trip on Monday, August 31, when the Gaels travel to Syracuse for a 7 p.m. kickoff at SU Soccer Stadium. The match will air on ACC Network Extra.
FOLLOW THE GAELS
Be sure to follow Iona University athletics on all social media platforms:
Iona Gaels: X, Facebook, Instagram and
YouTube (
Email Updates).
Iona Men's Soccer: X, Facebook and Instagram.
