Men's Soccer

Manhattan and Niagara Claim Victories in MAAC Men’s Soccer Opening Round on Sunday

No. 3 Manhattan – 2 | No. 6 Fairfield – 0
Gaelic Park | RIVERDALE, NY
Box Score
 
No. 3 Manhattan earned a clean sheet victory over No. 6 Fairfield in the opening round on Sunday, scoring a pair of goals in the first half to secure the win. Gunnar Studenhofft got the Jaspers on the board in the 19th minute when he stole a pass attempt from Fairfield keeper James Anderson and launched the ball into the back of the net. Manhattan added its second tally when Studenhofft sent a ball to Ronaldo Da Silva, who made a move pass the defender and launched a rocket to the bottom right corner of the net.   
 
Manhattan Notes and Notables
  • Manhattan held a 10-6 shot advantage, 4-3 edge in shots on goal, and posted a 6-4 edge in corner kicks.
  • Studenhofft was the Jaspers’ top scorer on the evening recording one goal and one assist.
  • Studenhofft and Harry Bark led the Jaspers with three shots each, while Da Silva had a pair of shots.
  • Keeper Danny DiMarco made two saves in the shutout win.
  • Manhattan makes its first appearance in the semifinals since 2013.
 
Fairfield Notes and Notables
  • Cormac Pike and Viggo Sjoberg each had one shot on goal to lead the Stags.
  • Five players for Fairfield took one shot a piece in the match.
  • Anderson made three stops in goal.
 
No. 4 Niagara – 1 | No. 5 Siena – 1 (Niagara advances on PK, 4-3)
Niagara Field | NIAGARA UNIV., NY
Box Score

No. 4 Niagara got by No. 5 Siena to make it to the tournament’s final four. The Purple Eagles struck first, when Rodrigo Almeida scored off on assist from Gabriel Mikina in the game’s third minute. The score would remain the same for the next 77 minutes, until Erik Reis fed Magnus Saaby in the box, scoring a one-timer and equalizing the match. The two sides would play to a 1-1 draw at the end of regulation. After playing 20 minutes of scoreless action in overtime, the teams went to penalty kicks where Niagara prevailed 4-3.
 
Niagara Notes and Notables
  • Niagara recorded 19 shots with six on target.
  • Almeida, Mikina, and Alberto Sanchez Cervera each had two shots on goal to lead the Purple Eagles.
  • Ali Alomari was the team leader in shots, taking five, while Almeida registered four and Cervera three.
  • Goalkeeper John Barry made five saves in 110 minutes of action.
  • Niagara advances to the semifinals for the first time since 2012, the last time the program won it all.
 
Siena Notes and Notables
  • Siena took 15 shots in the match, also putting six on target.
  • Saaby and Bilal Hersi both logged two shots on goal.
  • Zach Gardner led the team in total shots, posting four while Hersi followed with three shots.
  • Greg Monroe had five saves in goal in the double overtime match.
 
Manhattan and Niagara will advance to the semifinal round of the 2022 MAAC Men’s Soccer Championship on Thursday, November 10. The Jaspers will travel to rival, No. 2 Iona University, while the Purple Eagles visit top-seeded Quinnipiac University.
 
The 2022 MAAC Men's Soccer Championship will take place from November 6 through 13. The six-team, single-elimination championship will be hosted by the higher seed of each match. The opening round will take place on Sunday, November 6, followed by the semifinals on Thursday, November 10, and concluding with the championship match on Sunday, November 13. For all information regarding the 2022 MAAC Women’s Soccer Championship, please visit maacsports.com/msoc.
 
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 42nd year of competition during the 2022-23 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan College, Marist College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.
 
Stay up to date with the MAAC on social media by following @MAACSports on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram or visit MAACSports.com for all the latest MAAC news.