LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Pablo DeCastro (Madrid, Spain/Universidad Francisco de Vitoria) scored twice and Francisco Gomez Olano (Cadiz, Spain/University of Cadiz) distributed two assists as the second-seeded Rider University men's soccer team cruised past seventh-seeded Iona, 4-1, in Sunday's MAAC Championship Quarterfinals. With the win, the Broncs (3-0-1) advance to face sixth-seeded Monmouth in Wednesday's semifinals, while the Gaels end their MAAC Championship defense at 2-4-1.

Rider opened the scoring in the 20^th minute as Sergio Aguinaga's (Madrid, Spain/Antonio Dominguez Ortiz) corner kick found Guillermo Pavia Vidal (La Salle Sagrado Corazon) for a header at the left post. In the 36^th minute, Taner Bay (Webster, NY/Webster Thomas) was taken down inside the 18-yard box for a penalty kick that DeCastro calmly finished for a 2-0 lead heading to halftime.

The Broncs kept the pressure on in the second half, as Gomez Olano passed from the top, left corner of the 18-yard box, leading DeCastro toward the top of the box, where the senior unleashed a rocket inside the right post for a 3-0 lead in the 64^th minute. The Gaels got their lone goal of the game in the 78^th minute, capitalizing on miscommunication between a Broncs back and goalkeeper Pablo Gatinois (Madrid, Spain/Lycee Francais de Madrid [Oregon State]), leaving Esad Mackic with a shot from outside the box into a wide open net. Gomez Olano later dished out his second assist to a Zaki Alibou (Meknes, Morocco/Ajana) in the 90^th minute, setting up the first-year Bronc with a 1-v-1 opportunity against a charging Iona goalkeeper, before he scored low inside the far, right post.
 
Notes
- Rider and Iona have now met in the MAAC Championship Quarterfinals in three-straight years, with Rider taking two of three. The winner in the last two meetings went on to win the tournament.
- Rider now has a 14-11-1 advantage in the all-time series against Iona.
- Rider played the game without Head Coach Charlie Inverso on the sidelines. Associate Head Coach Victor Kotynski acted as Head Coach.   
- The Broncs will now face Monmouth, which won its second-straight game at Niagara Sunday, defeating the Purple Eagles, 2-1. On both occasions, the Hawks came from behind to win. On Sunday, Monmouth went down, 1-0, on a penalty kick that sent off George Akampeke. But the Hawks scored two second-half goals within 88 seconds of each other down a man to advance.

Broncs By The Numbers
- DeCastro scored his first two goals of the season, pushing his career total to 27.
- Gomez Olano now has three assists on the season, marking the second-straight year that he's had three assists. He had three assists in 17 games played last season, while achieving the feat in just four games this season.
- Alibou and Pavia Vidal scored for the first time this season, while Bay and Aguinaga registered their first assists.
- The Iona goal was the first allowed by the Rider defense this season.
- With four goals today, Rider tripled its season output, having scored twice in three games entering the day.
- Rider outshot Iona, 14-6, including a 6-2 margin in shots on goal.
- The Broncs took four corner kicks to the Gaels' one.