EDISON, NJ (Nov. 8, 2023) – The 2023 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Men's Soccer Championship resumes on Thursday, November 9 with the semifinal round. The field’s top four seeds remain alive with No. 1 Iona hosting rival No. 4 Manhattan in New Rochelle, NY at Mazzella Field and No. 2 Siena welcoming No. 3 Rider to Hickey Field in Loudonville, NY. Both semifinal round matches will be kicking off at 1:00 p.m. with both games airing live on ESPN+.
 
No. 1 Iona (11-3, 9-1 MAAC) vs. No. 4 Manhattan (7-7-3, 6-3-1 MAAC)
Mazzella Field | NEW ROCHELLE, NY | 1:00 PM | ESPN+ | Live Stats

New York City rivals, Iona and Manhattan will collide in a semifinal round rematch on Thursday at 1pm in New Rochelle. Regular season champion and top overall seed, Iona will begin its pursuit of the program’s second MAAC Championship title since 2019, after finishing the season with a league-best 27 points, recording a 9-1 MAAC mark and 11-3 overall record. The Gaels are back in the postseason for the sixth time over the past seven seasons and seeking their second straight trip into the finals. Iona is a perfect 5-0 at Mazzella Field in 2023 and the team has won three straight contests and 10 out of its last 11 overall matches heading into this postseason. The fourth-seeded Manhattan Jaspers earned a 2-0 clean sheet victory over No. 5 Niagara in the opening round on Sunday in Riverdale, NY, with goals scored in each half by Sebastiano Musu (37’) and Henry Hamilton (87’), ending the team’s two-game losing streak. Manhattan, which qualified for its third straight postseason, is back in the semifinal round for the second consecutive season. The Jaspers are seeking the program’s first ever MAAC crown, and looking to make the championship title match for the third time in program history, having qualified twice previously in 2011 and 1994.
 
The rivals last met in the regular season finale on Wednesday, Nov. 1 in Riverdale, NY, with Iona taking the contest 2-0, to clinch the outright regular season championship. Thursday’s contest will also mark the second straight season that the two teams square off in New Rochelle for a spot in the championship title match. In last season’s semifinal meeting, No. 2 Iona held off No. 3 Manhattan, 1-0, earning the home postseason win.
 
No. 2 Siena (8-8, 8-2 MAAC) vs. No. 3 Rider (10-3-4, 6-2-2 MAAC)
Hickey Field | LOUDONVILLE, NY | 1:00 PM | ESPN+ | Live Stats
 
Siena will welcome Rider in the second semifinal round game at 1pm in Loudonville, NY on Thursday afternoon. The Saints earned their most league wins in program history and had their highest regular season finish since 2012, after an 8-2 MAAC mark (24 points) and number two overall seed in the field. Siena is making its fourth straight MAAC postseason appearance --- first semifinal appearance since 2020-21 --- and looking to make its first ever MAAC Championship final appearance. The Saints concluded the regular season slate as winners of two straight and seven out of the final eight contests. No. 3 Rider advanced to the semifinals for the second time over the past three seasons, after defeating No. 6 Marist, 3-1 in Lawrenceville, NJ on Sunday afternoon. The Broncs got out to a 3-0 advantage, before giving up a penalty kick goal with less than 10 minutes, propelling the team into their first semis since 2021. The squad is riding the current longest winning streak in the MAAC, having won five straight contests and they are unbeaten over the last six games. Rider owns five MAAC Championship titles --- tied for the league-lead amongst current members along with Fairfield --- and the program has made the second-most final appearances among current members with seven.
 
On Saturday, Sep. 16, in the conference opener, Rider edged Siena 1-0 at home in Lawrenceville, NJ. The last meeting between the teams in the MAAC Championship occurred in the quarterfinal round of the 2021 tournament, with No. 5 Rider beating No. 4 Siena, 1-0.
 
Tickets for all games during the 2023 MAAC Men’s Soccer Championship can be purchased through HomeTown Ticketing at the gate or by visiting maacsports.com/tickets.
 
The winners of the semifinals will advance to the 2023 MAAC Men's Soccer Championship title match on Sunday, November 12. The championship match will be played at the higher seed’s facility and will air live on ESPN+ (time TBD).
 
For all information regarding the 2023 MAAC Men’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 43rd year of competition during the 2023-24 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius University, 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. Merrimack College and Sacred Heart University will join the MAAC as full members in the 2024-25 academic year, expanding the conference to 13 institutions.
 
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