EDISON, NJ (Nov. 15, 2024) – The title match of the 2024 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Men's Soccer Championship is set for Sunday, November 17 at Mazzella Field in New Rochelle, NY, with No. 1 Iona University and No. 2 Rider University set to clash for the league trophy for the second straight year. The championship will air live on ESPN+ at 1:00 p.m.
 
No. 1 Iona (10-4-3, 6-1-1 MAAC) vs. No. 2 Rider (14-4-1, 6-1-1 MAAC)
Mazzella Field | NEW ROCHELLE, NY | 1:00 PM | ESPN+ | Live Stats
 
For the first time in over 30 years, the MAAC Men’s Soccer Championship will be a rematch from the previous year, when the top-seeded Iona Gaels welcome the second-seeded Rider Broncs to New Rochelle, NY on Sunday with the league trophy and an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament to the line. Iona clinched its third straight spot in the championship final by handling No. 5 Marist, 3-1 on Thursday afternoon at home. The Gaels’ tallies came from Francesco Borla (9’), Bautista Rossi (37’), and Jose Silva (65’) in the win, and it was the second straight tournament match that Iona scored three goals, after also earning a 3-0 shutout win over No. 8 Mount St. Mary’s in the quarterfinals. Sunday’s contest will be the Gaels’ sixth overall appearance in the championship title game and Iona becomes the first program since Rider from 2015-2018, to compete in at least three straight MAAC Championship finals. Iona will be in search of the program’s second MAAC title, with the only other one coming in 2019. At home in 2024 against MAAC opponents, the Gaels are unbeaten, holding a 5-0-1 record, and over the past two seasons, Iona is a combined 11-1-1 at Mazzella Field against the conference, with the lone defeat coming in last year’s championship to Rider. Rider punched its second straight trip in the championship title match after taking down No. 3 Siena, 1-0 on Thursday night in Lawrenceville, NJ. The lone goal scorer for the Broncs was MAAC Golden Boot, Momo Diop (55’). Rider and MAAC Golden Glove winner, Adam Salama has not conceded a goal in the postseason, earning a pair of shutout wins which also included a 1-0 double overtime victory over No. 7 Sacred Heart in the quarterfinal round. The Broncs are back in the finale for the 10^th time in program history and the squad is looking to add trophy number seven to the trophy case. Rider is also attempting to become the first back-to-back league champs in the MAAC since 2015 and 2016, which was also achieved by the Broncs. Rider enters the championship bout as one of the hottest teams in the country, leading the nation in overall wins with 14 and ranking 11^th in won-lost-tied percentage.
 
The two teams met in the MAAC opener on September 28 in New Rochelle, with Iona topping Rider, 1-0. Sunday’s championship will be the second title match between the two programs counting last year. Overall, this will be the fifth meeting between the two in the postseason dating back to 2007, with Rider holding a 3-1 lead in the series.
 
The winner of the 2024 MAAC Men's Soccer Championship title match will earn the league’s automatic bid into the 2024 NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Tournament.
 
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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