NEW ROCHELLE, NY – The Iona University men's soccer team opened Metro Conference play in emphatic fashion on Saturday afternoon, rolling to a 6-1 victory over Canisius at Mazzella Field. The Gaels scored four first-half goals and added two more after the break to secure their fifth consecutive win in a conference opener.
Senior
Francesco Borla and freshman
Brayden O'Boyle each recorded their first career braces to lead the Maroon & Gold to its highest scoring output in a decade.
THE RUNDOWN
Iona wasted little time getting on the scoreboard, earning a penalty kick in the 12th minute. Sophomore
Ricardo Vivo Calderon stepped up to the spot and converted his first goal of the season to give the Gaels an early 1-0 advantage.
The Maroon & Gold doubled its lead in the 22nd minute as Borla found the back of the net. Vivo Calderon and freshman
Ignacio Manzanares combined to set up the scoring play, giving Iona a 2-0 lead.
Canisius cut into the deficit in the 27th minute after earning a penalty kick of its own.
The Gaels responded just over six minutes later as O'Boyle restored the two-goal advantage in the 34th minute. Manzanares and Vivo Calderon picked up their second assists of the afternoon.
Iona continued to apply pressure late in the opening half, adding a fourth goal in the 44th minute. O'Boyle struck for the second time in the contest, finishing a scoring play set up by junior
Gino Lavista and freshman
Aritz Ortigosa to send the Maroon & Gold into halftime with a commanding 4-1 lead.
The offensive momentum carried into the second half as Borla completed his first career brace in the 57th minute. Freshman
Rudy Figueroa registered his first collegiate assist on the play, extending the Iona advantage to 5-1.
Figueroa capped the scoring in the 67th minute, netting his first collegiate goal off a feed from senior
Jaime Roman Jr. to push the final margin to 6-1.
IONA PERFORMERS
- Borla recorded his first career brace, scoring once in each half to lead the offensive charge. The sophomore finished with four points on the afternoon.
- O'Boyle registered his first career brace with two first-half goals to finish with four points on the afternoon.
- Vivo Calderon finished with a career-high four points, converting an early penalty kick and adding two assists on Iona's next two goals.
- Manzanares recorded his first two-assist performance as a Gael.
- Figueroa contributed to the two second-half goals for his first collegiate points.
- Freshman Adriano Sofio made three saves between the posts to earn his first win in goal for Iona.
THE OPPONENT
- Romero Nicolazzo accounted for the lone Canisius goal, converting a penalty kick in the 27th minute for his third tally of the season.
- The Golden Griffins recorded nine shots, placing four on target, while their goalkeeper finished with five saves.
TEAM STATS
- Iona controlled the offensive opportunities throughout the contest, outshooting Canisius 21-9, including an 11-4 advantage in shots on goal.
- The Maroon & Gold generated six corner kicks while holding the Golden Griffins without a corner opportunity.
- The two sides combined for 25 fouls, with Iona committing 12 and Canisius recording 13.
NOTABLE NUGGETS
- Iona opened conference play with a victory for the fifth consecutive season.
- The Gaels extended their winning streak against Canisius to three games, including victories in each of the last two conference openers against the Golden Griffins.
- The six-goal performance marked Iona's first since Sept. 26, 2015, when the Maroon & Gold earned a 6-1 victory over Niagara.
- The Gaels' 20 points were their most in a single game since recording 23 points in the 2015 victory over the Purple Eagles.
UP NEXT
Iona hits the road for the first time in Metro Conference play next Saturday, Sept. 26, traveling to Mount St. Mary's for a 4 p.m. matchup at Waldron Family Stadium.
