LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ –
Babacar Diene (Thies, Senegal/CEM Ballabey) scored a pair of goals, but the Rider University men's soccer team fell to Iona, 5-3, Wednesday night on Ben Cohen Field. With the loss, the Broncs fall to 5-3-3 (2-2-1 MAAC), while the Gaels improve to 6-3-0 (4-1-0 MAAC).
The Gaels immediately struck for goals in the fourth and fifth minutes on a Camil Azzam Ruiz penalty kick and a Thiago Cagna strike after collecting a loose ball 25 yards out. The Broncs were awarded a penalty kick in the 11
th minute after
Adel Al Masude (Brussels, Belgium/GO Lyceum Gent) was taken down inside the box and
Babacar Diene (Thies, Senegal/CEM Ballabey) converted to cut the deficit in half. But less than a minute later, Azzam Ruiz knocked in the rebound of Cagna's shot off the crossbar to push the Iona lead back to two goals. Rider would get a goal back in the 41
st minute as Al Masude converted off a free kick from 25 yards out inside the left upper 90 to cut the deficit to 3-2 at the half.
The scoring wouldn't slow in the second half as Iona found the back of the net in the 69
th minute, with Cagna scoring his second of the game off assists from Ricardo Senen Pinillos and Azzam Ruiz. Diene brought the Broncs back to within one less than three minutes later, heading in
Saad Chaouki's (Montreal, Quebec/Antoine de Saint Exupery) free kick in the 72
nd minute. But Senen Pinillos gave Iona an insurance goal in the 82
nd minute, shooting from a tough angle along the goal line to sneak it past Rider goalkeeper
Adam Salama (Ramle, Israel/Orthodox [Ottawa Univ.]).
Quotes & Notes
"Credit to Iona. They're on quite the run right now. I think they came in with an energy, ready to go, that we struggled with, which playing at home I was surprised. With the success we've had at home and us wanting to be on the front foot right out of the gate, they hit us pretty hard, pretty quick. We recovered and I was happy with the guys. But anytime you put yourself in a hole like that, it's going to be difficult to get out of, chasing the game the rest of the time." –
Rider Head Coach Chad Duernberger
- Rider leads the all-time series with Iona, 15-12-2, including a 9-2-1 mark in the last 12 meetings. Last year, the two teams played to a scoreless draw in New Rochelle.
- After going the first nine games of the season without allowing more than one goal in a match, Rider has conceded multiple goals in consecutive matches.
- Salama made two saves in defeat.
- Salama,
Jack McGeechan (Allendale, NJ/Northern Highlands Regional),
Martin Chladek (Prague, Czech Republic/Gymnazium Voderadska [Montevallo]), Chaouki,
Momo Diop (Thies, Senegal/Prive Serigne Touba), Diene,
Zaki Alibou (Meknes, Morocco/Meknes),
Sebastian Rojek (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Hills [Stony Brook]) and
Ethan Shaw (Surf City, NJ/Northern Burlington [St. John's]) each played all 90 minutes.
- It was the 11th-straight 90-minute efforts for Salama, Chladek, Rojek and Shaw to begin the season.
Broncs By The Numbers
- Diene scored his fourth and fifth goals of the year to take the team lead. He now has eight goals in his two seasons in Lawrenceville.
- Al Masude scored for the second time this season.
- Chaouki distributed his team-leading third assist of the year.
- The Broncs outshot Iona, 17-11. However, the Gaels took a 7-6 edge in shots on goal.
- Rider took eight corner kicks, while the Gaels did not attempt a corner.
- Iona was shown two yellow cards in the game, while the Broncs were cautioned once.
Up Next
- The Broncs return to action next Wednesday, Oct. 18, when they travel to Canisius. Kickoff from Buffalo, NY, is scheduled for 4 p.m. on ESPN+.
