The Iona College women’s soccer team continued their season with three tough Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference games.

On Oct. 5, the Gaels took on the Quinnipiac Bobcats at Mazzella Field. Neither team was able to score in regulation, and the game was settled in overtime. Less than a minute into extra-time, Iona got on the scoreboard with a header from senior Nicole Paulucci off of a free kick from senior teammate Leanne Benson. The game winning goal was Paulucci’s third of the year.

“Well, when I saw the ball coming in, it was absolutely the most perfect ball that I could ask for,” Paulucci said in a postgame interview on icgaels.com. “I saw it and I knew that I had it so I just headed it right in.”

The women’s soccer team had a strong line-up on the field, and for every team they play head coach Linda Hathorn has a different strategy.

“The girls played really hard. We went down a key position early at the end of the first half, which changed what we could do because we were already down numbers,” Hathorn said in a postgame interview on icgaels.com.

“The girls really had to battle through, and take a lot of pressure in the second half. We needed to find a way to win, and find a way to win early on in over time, which we did and was great,” she said.

In the following game, the Gaels remained home for a tilt with the Monmouth University Hawks. The Hawks found the back of the net within the first six minutes of the game. Despite trailing, the Maroon & Gold continued to push forward to find the equalizer.

In the 86th minute Iona scored to tie up the game (1-1) just minutes before the final whistle.

Sophomore Kara Maguire scored her first goal of the season, which was assisted by sophomore Alex Chinich.

“I went in with about three minutes left and [sophomore Amanda] Cantos got the ball and played it back to Alex, who drove down and crossed it in,” Maguire said in a postgame interview on icgaels.com. “I made the run and finished it.”

Maguire’s goal was crucial for the game. Their head coach was very impressed with the team’s hard work.

“It was the goal that came from players looking to apply what we talked about at half time, and it was a fantastic run by Chinich who was in early and gave great effort,” Hathorn said in a postgame interview on icgaels.com. “She came on two seconds later and she scored a goal and that’s what we want from our subs. We don’t look at subs really as subs; we look at them as finishers. Someone who is supposed to come on and elevate the play, and that’s what she did today.”

The game progressed into overtime, and neither team scored, resulting in a 1-1 double-overtime draw.

On Oct. 12, Iona traveled to Lawrenceville, NJ to face the Rider Broncs. The Gaels fell 3-0. The Broncs got on the board within the first two and half minutes of the contest.

Before the halftime whistle, Rider expanded its lead to 2-0. Rider’s final goal came eight minutes into the second half. Overall the Gaels were outshot 12-6.

The Gaels were scheduled to play at Fairfield on Oct. 16. The result of the game was not available at press time. Iona will have its homecoming game against the Siena Saints on Oct. 19 at 12 p.m. at Mazzella Field.