Wednesday, October 11, 2023
Rider Broncs (5-2-3, 2-1-1 MAAC) vs. Iona Gaels (5-2-0, 3-0-0 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 resumes MAAC play when it plays host to Iona Wednesday night.   
- The Broncs saw their eight-game unbeaten streak halted Saturday at league-leading Manhattan. Rider had gone 5-0-3 in its previous eight matches, following a season-opening 1-0 loss at Seton Hall. The 2-0 loss on a rain-soaked Gaelic Park field represented the first time the Broncs have allowed multiple goals this season. Both came in the match's final 13 minutes.
- Rider Men's Soccer is dedicating Wednesday's match to the life and legacy of Morgan Rodgers, a former Duke University Lacrosse student-athlete who died tragically in July 2019 after battling mental health struggles. Although Morgan's life was cut way too short, her legacy of unconditional love remains. Morgan's Message was created by her family and former teammates with the mission to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health, normalize the conversations about mental health and ensure that mental health is treated equally to physical health for all student-athletes.
- The Broncs are in their first year under Head Coach Chad Duernberger. Duernberger comes to Rider following five seasons as an assistant at Dartmouth. He replaces Charlie Inverso, who retired following 12 seasons at the helm, leading the Broncs to three MAAC Championships. Just seven matches into Duernberger's first year, the Broncs eclipsed their win total from 2022.
- First-year goalkeeper Adam Salama has posted a 0.70 goals-against average and an .821 saves percentage in playing all 900 minutes so far this season. He's made 32 saves.
- Rider leads the all-time series with Iona, 15-11-2, including a 9-1-1 mark in the last 11 meetings. Last year, the two teams played to a scoreless draw in New Rochelle.   
- The Gaels are 3-0 in league play and 5-2 overall in 2023. They've won their last four matches, including league wins over Niagara, Canisius and Quinnipiac.  
- Camil Azzam Ruiz is the MAAC's leader in goals (7) and points (15), while Matias Morales is second in the league with five assists. Aly Camara has also added three goals and an assist.
- Nacho Alfaro Monge has played every minute in goal for Iona, posting a 1.00 goals-against average and .788 saves percentage. He has one shutout.  
- The Gaels were picked second in the MAAC Preseason Poll.
- Ethan Shaw scored his third goal of the year in a 2-0 win over Fairfield on Sept. 24. Babacar Diene also scored in a 1-1 tie at Quinnipiac on Sept. 30 to tie him with Shaw for the team lead.
- Saad Chaouki scored his first goal as a Bronc on Sept. 24 against Fairfield. Adam Salama's punt found Diene's head in the midfield and Diene played in to Chaouki in stride for a 1-v-1 opportunity.
- For his effort in consecutive clean sheets against Penn and Siena, Adam Salama was named MAAC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 18. Salama made it consecutive honors on Sept. 25 following a 3-1 win over La Salle on Sept. 19 and a 2-0 win over Fairfield on Sept. 24.
- Six different Broncs figured in the scoring in Rider's 3-1 win over La Salle. Martin Chladek, Babacar Diene and Justin Ruffino scored goals off assists from Ethan Gregory, Zaki Alibou and Dylan Kotch as the Broncs battled back from down, 1-0, and a 1-1 tie at the half to earn the 3-1 win.
- Luke Kirilenko scored his first collegiate goal, the game-winner, in the 64^th minute of a 1-0 win over Siena on Sept. 16. Jack McGeechan and Momo Diop assisted on the play.
- Both of Ethan Shaw's goals in the 2-1 win at Sacred Heart came off Saad Chaouki assists. For their efforts, Shaw and Chaouki were named MAAC Offensive Player and Rookie of the Week, respectively on Sept. 11.
- Chaouki and Adel Al Masude have two assists each to pace the team.
- Adel Al Masude scored the equalizer at NJIT.
- Diene and Sebastian Rojek also netted goals in the Broncs' 2-0 win over Saint Joseph's.
- Rider also returns 2021 MAAC Offensive Player of the Year Zaki Alibou following an injury-riddled 2022 campaign that saw him play just 87 minutes in two games due to injury. In 2021, he led the Broncs with 10 goals and five assists, helping Rider to the MAAC Final.
- Al Masude leads a group of four returning starters, along with Diene, Jack McGeechan and Tom Skrocki. Al Masude tied for the team lead with Lenny Cidolit at three goals and four assists last season. Diene also tied for the team lead with three goals last season, while McGeechan contributed three assists.
- The Broncs entered a period of transition in goal, with Ben Collins being the only returner to see action in net for Rider (three games off the bench in 2022) entering the season. Diesel Fiore was also on the roster last season, while Salama entered competition following a season at Ottawa University, an NAIA school in Arizona.
- Rider was picked eighth in the MAAC Preseason Coaches Poll.
- The Broncs qualified for the MAAC Championships in nine-straight seasons before missing the field in 2022. Rider won MAAC Championships in 1997, 1998, 2015, 2016 and 2018, while finishing as runner up in 2004, 2017 and 2021.