Wednesday, October 27, 2021
Rider Broncs (7-5-2, 4-2-1 MAAC) vs. Iona Gaels (6-7-2, 3-4-1 MAAC)
Location: Lawrenceville, NJ – Ben Cohen Field
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: GoBroncs.com

What You Need To Know
- The Rider University men's soccer team plays host to Iona Wednesday night on ESPN+.
- Rider is unbeaten in its last three games, including wins in the last two over Fairfield and Canisius following a tie against Saint Peter's on Oct. 16. Rider twice fell behind, 2-0, to open the streak before rallying for a 3-3 tie against Saint Peter's and 4-3 win over Fairfield. Rider then led throughout in a 4-1 road win at Canisius on Oct. 23.
- During the Broncs' unbeaten streak, Sergio Aguinaga has scored in each of the three games and added a pair of assists. Two of the goals have come directly off corner kicks. Zaki Alibou has also added two goals and an assist, while Adel Al-Masude has a goal and two assists in the span.
- Al-Masude distributed both of his assists in the Canisius game, earning him his second MAAC Rookie of the Week honor on Oct. 25.  
- The Broncs are 7-5-2 (4-2-1 MAAC) so far this season, with wins over Central Connecticut, Stony Brook, Fordham, Quinnipiac, Niagara, Fairfield and Canisius, ties at NJIT and vs. Saint Peter's and losses to Villanova, Saint Francis (Pa.), La Salle, Monmouth and Marist.
- Rider is now 6-0-1 when scoring three goals or more and 5-0-0 when scoring four goals.
- Pablo Gatinois started four of the first five games in net this season, posting a 2.20 goals-against average and a .400 saves percentage. Guillaume Veinante served as the Broncs' starter in the next eight games, posting a 1.89 GAA and .543 saves percentage. Gatinois returned to the starting lineup at Canisius, making seven saves while allowing just one goal.
- Wednesday's game features a pair of forwards tied for the league lead with 10 goals apiece in Zaki Alibou and Iona's Camil Azzam Ruiz. Alibou (four assists, 24 points) currently edges Azzam Ruiz (three assists (23 points) for the conference points lead.  - Iona features a line-up with significant scoring punch, with Lenworth Lopez (4 goals, 4 assists) and Eduardo Calvo-Salinas (2 goals, 5 assists) joining Azzam Ruiz.
- Zach Nelson has seen the majority of time in net for the Gaels, posting a 1.47 goals-against average and a .641 saves percentage. However, Jorge Alfaro Monge has started the last five games and posted a 1.17 goals-against average and .708 saves percentage in six starts for the year.
- Iona is 6-7-2 (3-4-1 MAAC), with league wins over Marist, Quinnipiac and Siena. The Gaels have been consistent at home and on the road, with a 3-3-1 record at Mazzella Field and a 3-4-1 mark on the road.
- Rider owns a 14-11-1 edge in the all-time series with the Gaels. The Broncs have won eight of the last nine against Iona, including four-straight on Ben Cohen Field. The lone setback in the span came in the 2019 MAAC Quarterfinals.  
- Rider went down 2-0 for a second-straight game against Fairfield on Oct. 20, but got four second-half goals to take a 4-3 victory. Taner Bay, Zaki Alibou, Sergio Aguinaga and Jeremy Peterson each found the back of the net to secure the comeback victory.
- The Broncs earned a wild 3-3 tie with Saint Peter's in rainy conditions Oct. 16 on Ben Cohen Field. Rider went down 2-0 early in the first half before battling back with goals in the 40^th and 51^st minutes. After Saint Peter's retook the lead 43 seconds after Rider equalized, the Broncs again knotted the game in the 57^th minute to earn a point.
- The Broncs not only contended with the weather, but the injury bug in the tie vs. Saint Peter's. With two of their starting backs departing with injuries in the first half, the Broncs got strong contributions from Tom Skrocki, who not only played a solid defensive game, but scored his first goal as a Bronc while seeing his first significant minutes.
- Sergio Aguinaga added a goal and an assist in the tie with Saint Peter's, while Adel Al-Masude contributed a goal and Zaki Alibou and Kevin Peprah also assisted on Aguinaga's equalizer.
- Zaki Alibou scored his eighth goal of the season in an Oct. 13 loss at Marist. Lenny Cidolit also had a goal and an assist at Marist.
- The Broncs earned a 2-1 win over Niagara on Oct. 9, with Alibou scoring the equalizer early in the second half off assists from Sergio Aguinaga and Guillaume Sarrabayrouse before an own goal in the 84^th minute proved to be the difference. Aguinaga's assist was his sixth of the year.
- Alibou scored his fifth and sixth goals of the year at Quinnipiac, while Sergio Aguinaga dished out three assists. Regis Dulck and Francisco Gomez Olano also scored in the win, with Adel Al-Masude contributing an assist.
- The four-goal output was the Broncs' third of the year and their fourth game in which they've scored at least three goals. Rider has won all four of its games this year in which it's scored at least three goals.
- Following Alibou's three-goal week in wins over Quinnipiac and Niagara, he was named MAAC Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 11.
- The Broncs opened MAAC play with a 1-0 double-overtime heartbreaker at Monmouth on Sept. 29, before bouncing back with a convincing 4-2 win at MAAC preseason favorite Quinnipiac on Wednesday. 
- Adel Al-Masude scored twice in the Broncs' 4-3 win over 2020-21 NCAA Qualifier Fordham on Sept. 22. For his effort, he was named MAAC Rookie of the Week.
- Justin Ruffino scored what proved to be the game-winning goal and added an assist in the win over Stony Brook. Lenny Cidolit and Zaki Alibou also scored in the win, while Adel Al-Masude and Jeremy Peterson also contributed assists.
- The Broncs were picked fourth in the MAAC Preseason Coaches Poll. Rider has qualified for the MAAC Championships in each of the last eight seasons, including four MAAC title game appearances and three MAAC Championships in that span.
- Gomez Olano was named to the Preseason All-MAAC Team. He followed up a two-goal, three-assist performance in 17 games in his first season at Rider in 2019 with a three-assist effort in just five games last Spring.
- The Broncs also return graduate student forward Pablo DeCastro, who's scored 27 goals and registered 61 points over the last four seasons. A two-time All-MAAC Second Team selection, DeCastro scored the game-winning goal in the 2018 MAAC Championship Game at Quinnipiac.
- Gatinois has won 21 games in his four seasons at Rider, compiling 14 clean sheets. His next shutout would tie him for the most in program history with Chip Maruca.
- Rider returned nearly all of its scoring from a year ago, with only Guillaume Vacter's one goal not returning. Vacter transferred to the University of Connecticut.