EDISON, NJ (Nov. 11, 2023) – The title match of the 2023 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Men's Soccer Championship is set for noon on Sunday, November 12 at Mazzella Field in New Rochelle, NY, with No. 1 Iona University and No. 3 Rider University set to battle for the league crown on ESPN+.
No. 1 Iona (12-3, 9-1 MAAC) vs. No. 3 Rider (11-3-4, 6-2-2 MAAC)
Mazzella Field | NEW ROCHELLE, NY | 12:00 PM | ESPN+ | Live Stats
The top-seeded Iona Gaels will welcome the third-seeded Rider Broncs to New Rochelle, NY on Sunday with the MAAC Men’s Soccer Championship trophy and an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament to the line. Iona punched its second straight ticket into the championship final by knocking-off arch rival, No. 4 Manhattan College, 1-0, in the semifinal round. It was the second consecutive year that the Gaels defeat the Jaspers 1-0, in the round of four. The difference in the match was a goal by Iona’s Thiago Cagna in the 18
th minute of play. Sunday’s contest will be the fifth finals appearance for the Gaels and the team will look to win the program’s second MAAC Championship trophy, with the only other one coming in 2019. Iona heads into the title match on a four game winning-streak, and are winners in 11 out of its last 12 overall matches. Additionally, the Gaels own the second longest active home winning streak in the nation, having won 10 straight at home, which includes a perfect 6-0 mark in 2023. Rider secured its spot in the championship title match after upsetting No. 2 Siena, 2-0 on the road in the semifinal round. The Broncs scored a pair of goals in a 50 second span late in the first half, with Zaki Alibou (37’) and Momo Diop (38’) both finding the back of the net. The win marked the second time this postseason Rider has won by a two-goal margin, adding to the Broncs’ 3-1 opening round triumphed over Marist. The Broncs will take the field in the championship final for the second time in three seasons, last making it in 2021, and for the ninth time overall, while looking to add MAAC title number six to the trophy case (1997, 1998, 2015, 2016, and 2018). Rider enters Sunday’s match as one of the hottest teams in the country and riding the current longest winning streak in the MAAC. The Broncs have won six straight contests, which is tied for third in the nation, and they are also unbeaten over the last seven matches, with both streaks leading the conference.
The two finalists faced off during the regular season on Oct. 11 in Lawrenceville, NJ, with Iona winning a 5-3 scoring frenzy over Rider. The five goals scored by the Gaels were the most in a MAAC contest this season and they were the second-most goals scored in the MAAC overall only behind six goals from Fairfield in an out of conference match. Sunday’s championship final will be the first ever title match between the two sides and the first postseason meeting between the two since they met in three straight opening rounds between 2018 and 2020-21. Rider took the 2018 meeting 2-0; Iona won the 2019 matchup 2-1; and Rider won the last meeting in 2020-21 by a dominating score of 4-1.
The winner of the 2023 MAAC Men's Soccer Championship title match will earn the league’s automatic bid into the 2023 NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Tournament.
Tickets for all games during the 2023 MAAC Men’s Soccer Championship can be purchased through HomeTown Ticketing at the gate or by visiting
maacsports.com/tickets.
For all information regarding the 2023 MAAC Men’s Soccer Championship, please visit
maacsports.com/msoc.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 43rd year of competition during the 2023-24 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius University, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan College, Marist College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College. Merrimack College and Sacred Heart University will join the MAAC as full members in the 2024-25 academic year, expanding the conference to 13 institutions.
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