Iona Men's Soccer Releases 2019 Schedule
NEW ROCHELLE, NY – The Iona College men's soccer program and head coach
James Hamilton announced the team's 2019 schedule. The Gaels open the season with seven non-conference matches before league play begins on October 5.
Iona's season begins with three straight matches on the road; the Gaels visit La Salle, Vermont and St. John's before returning to the friendly confines of Mazzella Field to host Binghamton for the 2019 home opener on September 14. The Maroon & Gold were 7-2-1 on their home turf in 2018 and topped Binghamton 1-0 in extra time on the road last season. Rising junior midfielder Josh Plimpton scored the game-winning goal in the 95
thminute with the assist from rising senior Malcolm Moreno.
Iona's final three non-conference affairs see them matchup with a trio of familiar Northeast Conference opponents. The Gaels face both Sacred Heart and Fairleigh Dickinson on the road and then host the defending NEC champion LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds. The Maroon & Gold defeated the Knights and the Pioneers last season and played to a draw with LIU Brooklyn in 2018's season opener. Iona was 3-0-1 against NEC opponents last season and outscored them 10-4.
The Gaels begin Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play on the road at Siena on October 5. Four days later, on October 9, the Maroon & Gold play their conference home opener against the Manhattan Jaspers and then host Fairfield on October 12.
The Gaels hit the road for matchups against Canisius (Oct. 16) and Saint Peter's (Oct. 19) before hosting Niagara on October 23. Iona wraps up the month of October with matches against the 2018 MAAC champions and the league's runner-up. The Gaels head for Hamden, CT on October 26 to face-off with Quinnipiac before welcoming the Rider Broncs back to New Rochelle for a rematch of last season's MAAC Championship First Round. It was the first time the program has ever hosted a postseason game, a 2-0 loss, the only time all season the Gaels didn't score in a home contest.
2019 concludes with home and away matches versus Marist and Monmouth, respectively. Hamilton and the program return 15 players, two of whom were All-MAAC performers last year, including the 2018 MAAC Rookie of the Year Mauro Bravo.
Be sure to stay tuned to all things Iona Athletics for more announcements, including which games will be broadcasted on platforms like ESPN+, ESPN3 and IonaInsider.com.