On Oct. 11, the men’s soccer team took on Niagara University, falling short 1-0 in a close game on Mazzella field.

Nia Tezuka is to be thanked for the loss, as he gave them the winning goal to give Niagara that upper hand against the Gaels.

But the Gaels did not go down easily, as they had a 13-5 advantage in shots over Niagara.

They applied a lot of pressure and hunger throughout all ninety minutes. Specifically, in the first 18 minutes, both Andres Becerra and Alvaro Maniero got blocked by Grant Wyles. However, in the 24th minute, the Gaels went down 1-0. During the second half, it was practically all Iona as they had the majority of the ball possession.

On Oct. 15, the men’s soccer team went head-to-head with Siena College on Mazzella Field, with the game ending in a 0-0 draw.

Fernando Alves Schmelz recorded his first shutout of the year, making four total saves in this game. Even though there was no offensive movement, the defense definitely had itself a field day. Iona started super strong in the first half, firing five shots all on target. However, it didn’t end there; both sides were outstanding defensively, and neither side was carded.

Finally, the Gaels went toe-to-toe with Rider University on the road and came out with a win, with the final score being 3-0.

Crucial contributors who scored were Emillio Rossi, Florian Schutt, and John Oualaalou, all of which were vital to help the Gaels get their first win since the last three games. Iona struggled heavily in the first fifteen minutes, not having much of the ball until the 17th minute, where they fired their first shot of the game. A corner in the 25th minute got their foot through the door. Later, Rider started to step up their game as they narrowly outshot Iona, 13-12, but the Gaels held a 5-4 advantage in shots on goal. Iona also led in corner kicks, 6-3. The match was physical, featuring 25 fouls and five cards, three for Iona and two for Rider.

Iona’s final few games see them split home and away games. The Gaels play Merrimack at home on Oct. 25 and Mount Saint Mary’s on Nov. 1, the latter being the team’s “Senior Day”. The Gaels play on the road at Sacred Heart on Oct. 29 and their season finale against rival Manhattan on Nov. 5.