Men's Soccer

Iona, Marist, Rider, and Siena Advance to Semifinal Round of 2024 MAAC Men’s Soccer Championship with Wins on Sunday

EDISON, NJ (Nov. 10, 2024) – Iona University, Marist College, Rider University, and Siena College earned quarterfinal round wins to kick off the 2024 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Men’s Soccer Championship on Sunday, November 10.
 
No. 1 Iona – 3 | No. 8 Mount St. Mary’s – 0
Mazzella Field | NEW ROCHELLE, NY
Box Score

It was all top-seeded Iona (9-4-3) in the first match of the quarterfinals round, as the Gaels dominated No. 8 Mount St. Mary’s (3-11-4) in a 3-0 shutout victory in New Rochelle, NY.
 
The Gaels opened the scoring in the 31st minute with a goal by Jad Benjelloun off a cross into box from Ricardo Senen Pinillos to Thiago Cagna, who passed it to Benjelloun for the chip in. Five minutes later, Cagna made it 2-0 after he received a feed in the box, making one dribble and finishing to the right side of the net. With the match already decided, Bautista Rossi added a goal in the 85th minute to finish off the 3-0 clean sheet victory.
 
Iona Notes and Notables
  • The Gaels led 15-11 on shots, 9-3 in shots on goal and 13-3 on corner kicks.
  • Cagna was the game’s top scorer, logging four points behind a goal and two assists.
  • Rossi recorded a goal and an assist for three points.
  • Benjelloun added two points with his lone goal, while Pinillos chipped in with an assist.
  • Cagna, Rossi, and Sergio Gonzalez Fernandez led Gaels with three shots apiece.
  • In the net, Loukas Georgiou made three saves in all 90 minutes of work, recording his second straight clean sheet win.
  • The Gaels will compete in the semifinals for the third year in a row.
 
Mount St. Mary’s Notes and Notables
  • Graham Dougald registered the most shots for the Mountaineers with three, followed by Junee Lee with who took two.
  • The Mount finished with three shots on goal, with Lee, Dominik Topolsky and Eliot O’Neil each putting one on target.
  • Julian Marcos finished with six saves in goal.
  • The contest was the first ever MAAC postseason game for Mount St. Mary’s and the program’s first since playoff match since 2008.
 
No. 2 Rider – 1 | No. 7 Sacred Heart – 0 2OT
Ben Cohen Field | LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ
Box Score
 
Defending MAAC Champion, No. 2 Rider (13-4-1), needed double overtime to defeat No. 7 Sacred Heart (8-6-2), 1-0 in Lawrenceville, NJ.
 
Each side had opportunities in the game’s first 90 minutes of action, but neither side was successful as both equally took six shots. In the first overtime period, Sacred Heart got two shots on target, while Rider had one, but still the game remained even at 0-0. After 101 minutes of scoreless soccer, Cole Sotack scored the golden goal after he received a feed in the box from Theo Da Silva and sent a blast to the bottom left corner of the goal.
 
Rider Notes and Notables
  • Rider held the advantage in shots, 10-8 and had three shots on goal with all three coming in the second half or overtime.
  • Sotack’s goal was his first tally this season.
  • Bryan Akongo led the Broncs with three total shots and recorded two shots on goal, while Sotack and Ezra Punselie had a pair of shots apiece.
  • Martin Chladek, Momo Diop, and Adel Al Masude each recorded one shot.
  • Starting keeper, Adam Salama, made four saves in 101:18 minutes of play.
  • Salama earned his conference-leading 13th overall win and eighth shutout on the season.
  • The Broncs are playing in the semifinals for the second consecutive year, and for the fourth time over the last five seasons dating back to 2020-21.
 
Sacred Heart Notes and Notables
  • A quartet of Pioneers finished the day with two shots, which included Pablo Alcoba, David Garcia Gallego, Ivan Morcillo, and Alejo Woelper.
  • Gallego paced the team with two shots on goal, while the remaining three all had one shot on goal.
  • Despite being outshot, Sacred Heart had a 5-3 edge in shots on goal.
  • Goalkeeper Andrew Hammersley made two saves in the defeat.
  • The postseason appearance was the third straight for Sacred Heart, but this was the first MAAC playoff berth, with this being its inaugural campaign in the league.
 
No. 3 Siena – 2 | No. 6 Manhattan – 1
Hickey Field | LOUDONVILLE, NY | 1:00 PM
Box Score

In the third match of the quarters, No. 3 Siena (7-4-6) used a late tally, to get past No. 6 Manhattan (5-8-3), 2-1, in Loudonville, NY.
 
Siena struck first in the 33rd minute when Dren Dobruna fired a shot into the top left corner on a set piece after the Saints were awarded a free kick. Manhattan scored the equalizer in the 58th minute when Sebastiano Musu finished a give-and-go with Felipe Arruda. The contest remained even until Mario Navarro Perez headed in the game-winner in the 84th minute, off a feed from Joseph DiPreta and Cole Hellert.
 
Siena Notes and Notables
  • Dobruna was the team leader with two shots and his goal scored.
  • Navarro Perez’s lone shot was on target which found the back of the net.
  • Of the Saints seven shots, three were on goal.
  • Assists were logged by DiPreta and Hellert, while Hellert also had a shot on goal.
  • The goal by Navarro Perez was his team-leading sixth in 2024.
  • Dobruna’s tally was his second in his rookie campaign.
  • Bennet Glinder collected one save in the win at the goalie position.
  • The Saints move on in the postseason for the first time in eight years.
  • The semifinal appearance will be the second straight for Siena.
 
Manhattan Notes and Notables
  • Manhattan held a 12-7 shot advantage and a 5-2 edge in corners.
  • Musu was the offensive leader for the Jaspers, taking four shots, with one on goal and the goal scored.
  • Musu’s goal was the sixth on the year.
  • Ziv Dahan followed with three shots and Henry Hamilton accounted for two shots with one on goal.
  • Goalkeeper Ludvig Malberg faced three shots and made one save in the losing effort.
 
No. 5 Marist – 2 | No. 4 Quinnipiac – 1
Quinnipiac Soccer & Lacrosse Stadium | HAMDEN, CT
Box Score

No. 5 Marist (7-8-2) scored a 2-1 upset win over No. 4 Quinnipiac (7-9-1), in the final quarterfinals game on Sunday in Hamden, CT.
 
Arion Ulaj scored the first goal of the match in the 18th minute off a header from Kyle Evans. Still leading by one goal early in the second half, Richard Morel netted a penalty kick in the 58th minute to extent the Red Foxes lead to 2-0. Quinnipiac would cut its deficit to a single goal and erase the shutout in the 72nd minute, by way of a goal from Ramesh Delsouz to the top left. Marist would hold off the final offensive effort by the Bobcats to secure the win.
 
Marist Notes and Notables
  • Marist outshot the Bobcats 16-11.
  • Caio Cavaletti led the way with a game-high four shots, followed by three shots from Morel and Joseph Daher.
  • The top point earners for the Red Foxes were Ulaj and Morel with their one goal each, while Evans and Evan Marques each tallied an assist.
  • Ulaj’s tally was his third of the year.
  • Morel scored his team-high seventh goal on the season.
  • The duo of Jamie Lowell and Dreni Idrizi made three saves each, combining to make six saves in goal in the win.
  • Marist advances to the semifinal round for the first time since 2021.
 
Quinnipiac Notes and Notables
  • Quinnipiac held the 7-6 shots on goal lead.
  • The Bobcats had a 5-1 corner kick advantage.
  • Delsouz and Noe Cabezas were the team leaders with three shots.
  • All three of Cabezas shots were on goal, while Delsouz had one on the mark.
  • Delsouz scored his second goal the season
  • Starting goalkeeper Karl Netzell, made three saves in the setback.
 
The 2024 MAAC Men’s Soccer Championship will resume on Thursday, November 14 with the semifinals and will conclude with the championship final on Sunday, November 17.
 
No. 1 Iona will host No. 5 Marist at 1:00 p.m. and No. 2 Rider will host No. 3 Siena at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday in the semifinals.
 
For all information regarding the 2024 MAAC Men’s Soccer Championship, please visit maacsports.com/msoc.
 
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 13 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 44th year of competition during the 2024-25 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius University, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan University, Marist College, Merrimack College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Sacred Heart University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.
 
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