After opening their 2025 campaign on the road, the Iona men’s soccer team returned home to Mazzella Field on Saturday afternoon to host the Monmouth Hawks. Despite a spirited effort in front of their home supporters, the Gaels fell 2-1 to their former conference rivals in a tightly contested matchup that came down to the final minutes.
The opening stages of the first half saw both teams probing for an early breakthrough. Monmouth created several promising looks, but Iona goalkeeper Fernando Schmelz was equal to the task, turning away multiple chances to keep the game scoreless. At the other end, the Gaels began to grow into the match with attacking midfielder Lucas Leite providing the spark. Leite tested the Hawks’ defense twice in quick succession, forcing saves in the 12th and 16th minutes as Iona looked to tilt the momentum in their favor.
Monmouth, however, struck first. In the 23rd minute, the Hawks caught Iona on the break as midfielder Jakob Friedman whipped in a long, curling cross from the right side. Forward Damian Taraska rose to meet it and placed a clinical header toward the far post, beating Schmelz to give Monmouth a 1-0 lead. The Gaels responded with urgency, pushing numbers forward in search of an equalizer. Their best look of the half came in the 36th minute when freshman Andres Becerra broke down the left flank and fired a low shot toward the near post, only to see it denied as Monmouth’s back line held firm. The score remained 1-0 at halftime.
Coming out of the restart, Monmouth looked to double their advantage, firing off two shots in the opening 15 minutes of the second half that missed the target. Iona soon wrestled back control, applying consistent pressure on the Hawks’ defense. Their persistence paid off in the 63rd minute when freshman forward Andrey Bravo Mora was taken down inside the box while battling for position. The referee immediately pointed to the spot, giving the Gaels a golden opportunity. Senior captain Maneiro stepped up and slotted his shot into the lower-left corner with swagger, sending the Mazzella crowd into celebration as the score leveled at 1-1.
With the game back on even footing, Iona fired a pair of attempts over the bar, while Schmelz produced two key saves to deny Monmouth’s counters. The breakthrough came in the 82nd minute, when the Hawks were awarded a free kick just outside the 18-yard box following a foul on the edge of Iona’s defense. Monmouth’s Jasen Bottini delivered with precision, curling his shot past the Iona wall and into the lower-right corner, narrowly out of Schmelz’s reach, to restore the Hawks’ advantage at 2-1.
Iona threw everything forward in the final eight minutes, recording four shots in a desperate push for another equalizer. Graduate student Storm Schmidt Hollensted and Maneiro both tested Monmouth keeper Otto Moosbrugger, but the Hawks’ goalkeeper came up with a pair of crucial saves to preserve the win.
Despite the defeat, the Gaels showed resilience and attacking quality. Iona will look to build on this performance as they continue their 2025 campaign at home on Saturday, Sept. 13 against Loyola Maryland.
