The Iona College men’s soccer team bounced back from a rough two-game losing streak by defeating Siena 2-0 in Loudonville, NY on Sept. 30.

Junior Humbert Ferrer and freshman Lenworth Lopez provided the scoring for the Gaels, who had eight shots on goal to Siena’s zero. Junior goalie Kellar Sirstins recorded his second clean sheet of the season. It was a dominating game for the Gaels, as their results reflected the kind of game they played.

The victory over the Saints marked Iona’s first Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference win of the 2017 season.

This win is a momentum builder for Iona as the team saw all of their games be decided by a single goal or less. The 1-0 loss to rival Manhattan on Sept. 27 was a heartbreaker, especially because the Gaels were able to dominate possession and take a greater amount of shots.

Both teams rattled the posts and were inches away from giving their teams a crucial lead in what was a match that begged for excitement. Neither team got a shot on goal until late in the second half, while the Gaels took five corner kicks compared to the Jaspers’ one.

Manhattan seemed a bit stronger in overtime. The Jaspers eventually scored the game winning goal when Sirstins punched a rebound directly at Manhattan midfielder Ryan Shields, who immediately shot the ball into the bottom corner of the net.

“We’ve been playing well despite having suffered two overtime losses,” head coach James Hamilton said. “Dominated possession in both games, conceded zero goals in both 90 minutes, but were just let down by a lack of potency in the final third.”

While games have been close, the Gaels have played much better than what the score sheet shows, according to Hamilton.

The Gaels are confident that they can continue to improve and take steps forward.

“This is all a process; it is just one step forward towards our final goal,” senior Luis Mendoza said.  “It is time to stay focused and trust our team philosophy.”