NEW ROCHELLE, NY – Iona scored the game-winning goal in the 95^th minute to defeat the Rider University men's soccer team, 1-0, in the MAAC Championship Game Sunday afternoon at Mazzella Field. With the loss, the Broncs fall to 14-5-1, while the Gaels (11-4-3) advance to the NCAA Tournament.

After a scoreless first half, the action picked up in the second. In the 66^th minute, Adam Salama (Ramle, Israel/Orthodox [Ottawa Univ.]) made a kick save from the goal line on Francesco Borla's attempt from deep inside the six-yard box. In the 69^th minute, the Gaels' Alvaro Maneiro slipped through two defenders in the box and got a shot past Salama. But Theo Da Silva (Sao Paulo, Brazil/University of Rio Grande) streaked back to head the ball over the crossbar and keep the game scoreless.

In the 71^st minute, Jack McGeechan (Allendale, NJ/Northern Highlands Regional) crossed from the goal line left through the box to Luke Kirilenko (McKinney, TX/Impington International College [Virginia]), whose low shot from 12 yards was saved by Gaels keeper Loukas Georgiou. Iona appeared to have won the game in the 88^th minute, with Bautista Rossi heading the ball back from the goal line to the edge of the six-yard box, where Jad Benjelloun headed it in. But Benjelloun was immediately ruled offside. Benjelloun, who'd been cautioned in the 68^th minute, tore his jersey off in celebration and, following video review that confirmed the offside call, Benjelloun was shown off with his second yellow card.

Playing down a man, Iona still managed to keep the pressure on, taking the final six shots of the game, including Rossi's game winner in the 95^th minute.

Notes
- Rider is now 24-11-3 all-time in the MAAC Championships and has now reached the final 10 times in 28 years in the league. Rider is 6-3-1 in 10 Championship Game appearances.
- Rider's 14-5-1 record marks the best winning percentage by a Rider team (.725) since the 1992 team also went 14-5-1.
- Rider's 14 wins are currently tied for most in NCAA Division I this season with Clemson (14-2-4), Penn (14-3-1) and Hofstra (14-4-2).
- For their efforts in the tournament, Salama, Cole Sotack (Doylestown, PA /Central Bucks East [Rutgers]) and Momo Diop (Thies, Senegal/Prive Serigne Touba) were selected to the MAAC All-Championship Team.
- The Broncs had gone unbeaten in their last nine matches and were 14-2-1 in their previous 17.
- Rider leads the all-time series with Iona, 16-14-2. Rider is 10-4-1 against Iona since 2015, with the Gaels taking the regular-season meeting in each of the last two seasons.
- Rider had enjoyed unique success on Mazzella Field entering 2024, going 5-1-1 in seven prior meetings in New Rochelle. Included in the success was wins in the 2023 MAAC Championship and 2018 MAAC Quarterfinals.
- The Broncs and Gaels have now met five times in the MAAC Championships, with the first meetings coming in the quarterfinals in consecutive seasons from Fall 2018 through Spring 2021. Rider took the first meeting, 2-0, on Mazzella Field in 2018, before the Gaels evened the score in 2019, also on Mazzella Field, 2-1. The Broncs then took a 4-1 win in Spring 2021 in Lawrenceville and a 2-1 win in the 2023 MAAC Championship Game. 
- All three of the Broncs' MAAC Championship contests were scoreless at the half.
- Salama made two saves in the game.
- Salama, Sotack, McGeechan, Martin Chladek (Prague, Czech Republic/Gymnazium Voderadska [Montevallo]), Diop, Da Silva, Andrew Erickson (San Antonio, TX/International School of the Americas [Kentucky]) and Kirilenko each played all 94 minutes.

Broncs By The Numbers
- Iona took a 17-10 edge in shots, with both teams putting four shots on target.
- Iona took seven corner kicks to the Broncs' two.
- The Gaels were shown three yellow cards and a red, while Rider was cautioned twice.