Men's College Soccer
Iona College 3, Rider University 1
NEW ROCHELLE, NY— The Terrytoons animation studio was located here in New Rochelle. It's most popular character was the diminutive Mighty Mouse.
On Saturday, the diminutive 5'7”, 140 pound Ignacio Maganto scored three goals to lead Iona to a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference victory over Rider.
The loss was the first for the Broncs (6-4-1, 1-1-1 MAAC) in the last three games.
Iona (4-5-2, 1-1-1) jumped out to a 2-0 lead with goals in the 24th and 36th minutes, taking a 2-0 lead into the locker room at half time. “The first 15 minutes we were good,” said Rider head coach Charlie Inverso, “then we gave away not such a great goal. Then we gave away a bad ball in the midfield and we're down two nothing.”
Rider (6-4-1, 1-1-1 MAAC) cut the lead to 2-1 when freshman Warren Holmes (Stoke on Trent, England) scored on a corner kick from freshman Travis Nitti (Fort Lee, NJ/Bergen Catholic) with 30 minutes to play. “That put us back in the game,” Inverso said. The goal was the second of the season for Holmes.
“We really competed well in the second half and I thought we had them on the ropes,” Inverso said. “We were attacking and attacking and getting after it.”
Iona scored the final goal with just eight minutes remaining. “What usually happens when you are chasing the game is you give up something late,” Inverso said, “which is what happened today. That broke our backs. Without giving up that third goal I felt we could have come back and tied it.”
Iona out-shot Rider 17-7, including 6-2 in shots on goal. “Iona is a very skillful team,” Inverso said. “We haven't beaten them in the three years I've been here.”
The Broncs lost 6-5 at Iona last year. Rider and Iona have met 16 times since the series began in 1997 with Rider winning six (one tie), the last Bronc victory coming in 2005.
Rider freshman goalkeeper David Pastuna (Robbinsville, NJ) made three saves.
Rider returns home to host Monmouth Wednesday evening at 7pm. “Monmouth is a quality team,” Inverso said, “but I think we are too.”
To prove Rider is a quality team on Wednesday, the Broncs will need someone to step up and quote Mighty Mouse, saying 'Here I come to save the day.”
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