The Iona College men’s soccer team capped off a successful regular season with wins against St. Peters, Canisius and their rival Manhattan, finishing with a 7-2-1 record in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and clinching a playoff spot.

The Gaels defeated St. Peters in a close 1-0 battle on the road. The only goal scored in the game was by senior midfielder Franklin Castellanos. His clutch goal was one of the many reasons that he was named offensive player of the week, leading his team to the playoffs.

Castellanos took pride in being named offensive player of the week. “It’s a good feeling, it gives me a little boost of confidence,” he said.

The Maroon & Gold secured a spot in the 2013 postseason by pulling out a 3-1 victory over the Canisius College Golden Griffins. Canisius drew first blood in the 18th minute. Junior Asani Samuels sprinted down the left side, getting by Iona’s midfielders and defenders. Asani ripped a shot that was knocked away by redshirt freshman goalie Julian Petrello, but Canisius junior midfielder Denver Spearman collected the rebound and easily finished giving the Golden Griffins a 1-0 lead.

The Gaels answered back about 20 minutes later. Castellanos fired a free quick right outside of the box precisely into the upper left corner to tie the game 1-1. Iona got some help from the Canisius defense in the 41st minute to take a 2-1 lead. Castellanos passed the ball to senior forward Samuel Adjei who crossed it to junior forward/midfielder Ignacio Maganto. Maganto missed on the redirect attempt, and the ball was deflected off of Canisius’ junior defender Jon Carey and into the net.

In the 85th minute Castellanos provided Iona with an insurance goal, assisted by junior midfielder Michael Holzer. Even though Canisius outshot the Gaels 14-9, Iona capitalized on all of their opportunities, defeating the Golden Griffins 3-1.

Iona left Canisius with lots of momentum moving forward, having won six out of their last seven games. Their next opponent would be the Manhattan Jaspers and momentum would be exactly what the Gaels would need when hosting their rivals.

It was senior day at Mazzella Field on Nov. 6 and the Iona men’s soccer team honored their seniors: Alexander Abdalla, Samuel Adjei, Charlie Butte, Franklin Castellanos, Michael Hodgen, Tommy Martin, MJ Nestor, Mike Stabile and Paul Traut.

Castellanos scored the first goal for the Gaels which would help power them to a win. “It was senior day, everyone was excited and motivated to play,” Castellanos said.

Martin scored the second goal for Iona which was assisted by Adjei. Petrello recorded six saves as goalkeeper, solidifying a 2-0 Iona win over Manhattan.

Martin, who was named academic all-district along with Castellanos, was pleased with his team’s victory. “The way we are heating up now, I wouldn’t want to have it any other way,” Martin said.

Finishing their regular season with a win against the Jaspers leaves the Gaels with an impressive 10-6-2 overall record and a 7-2-1 record in the MAAC. They are entering the playoffs red hot on a five game winning streak and earned the No.3 seed.

“Our confidence level is very high because we know what our team is capable of doing,” Castellanos said.

The Gaels will be playing the No.2 seeded Quinnipiac Bobcats on Friday Nov.15 at Fairfield University. Iona took on Quinnipiac earlier in the season on Oct. 5 and tied 0-0 in game which ended in overtime.