NEW ROCHELLE, NY (Nov. 12, 2023) – The 2023 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Men's Soccer Championship concluded on Sunday afternoon with No. 3 Rider University winning the league title in upset fashion over No. 1 Iona University at Mazzella Field in New Rochelle, NY.
No. 3 Rider – 2 | No. 1 Iona – 1
Mazzella Field | NEW ROCHELLE, NY
Box Score
The third-seeded Rider Broncs ended the top-seeded Iona Gaels’ perfect home mark, with a 2-1 upset win in the MAAC Men’s Soccer Championship final.
The game’s first goal came late in the first half, with Rider striking first in the 36
th minute. Championship Most Outstanding Player, Momo Diop would take it himself and send a missile into the upper right corner of the goal to put the visitors ahead 1-0. The goal was Diop’s third in as many games during the MAAC Championship, keeping his postseason scoring streak alive. Rider maintained the 1-0 lead heading into the locker room for halftime.
Three minutes into the second half, Iona’s lone goal scorer in the semifinal round, Thiago Cagna, would do so yet again, scoring the equalizer for the Gaels. MAAC Golden Boot winner Camil Azzam Ruiz, used fancy foot work to free himself up in the box before handing off a no-look touch pass to Cagna, who sent a rocket to the bottom left of the goal to knot the match at 1-1 in the 48
th minute of action.
With less than 10 minutes to play and the score still tied at 1-1, Babacar Diene would notch the game-winning goal in the 83
rd minute for Rider. Diene received a pass in the box and took a strike with his left boot which deflected off an Iona defender into the net for an unassisted tally.
With 16 seconds remaining, following a foul in the box by Rider, Azzam Ruiz stepped to the penalty spot for a chance to tie the match. Azzam Ruiz’s strike to the bottom right would be stopped by Rider’s goalkeeper Adam Salama, sending the ball over the crossbar as time expired, clinching the MAAC Championship for Rider.
Rider Notes and Notables
- Rider wins the MAAC title for the sixth time in program history, the first since 2018 (1997, 1998, 2015, 2016, and 2018).
- The six men’s soccer trophies are the most among current league members and only trail former MAAC member Loyola, who won 12 titles during its time in the MAAC.
- This was the third time over the past four postseason meetings that the Broncs have defeated the Gaels, with previous wins in 2018, 2019, and 2020-21.
- Rider held the advantage in corner kicks (7-5) and shots on goal (6-5).
- Diop’s goal was just the fourth of the season for him, with three of them coming this postseason, having scored a tally in all three of Rider’s tournament games.
- Diene’s goal was his 12th of 2023, which leads the Broncs this season.
- Diene recorded a team-high six shots in the win, with three on target.
- Zaki Alibou followed with three shots, Diop posted two shots and Saad Chaouki had one shot, with the trio recording one shot on goal each.
- Salama played all 90 minutes in the net and made four saves in the win, including the highlight penalty stop with 16 seconds to play.
- Rider entered the match as the hottest MAAC unit, owning the league’s current longest winning streak, which was tied for third in the nation.
- The Broncs have now won seven straight contests and are unbeaten over the last eight matches heading into the NCAA Tournament.
Iona Notes and Notables
- The defeat for Iona was the first at Mazzella Field this season after winning its six previous tries at home in 2023.
- This was also the second straight season the Gaels came up short in the championship title match after dropping the 2022 final to Quinnipiac as well.
- Iona outshot Rider 14-12, while putting five shots on goal.
- Four Gaels had at least two or more shots, led by a team-high six from Azzam Ruiz.
- Gonzalez Fernandez followed with three total shots, while Cagna and Alessio Hernandez both had two shots.
- Azzam Ruiz and Cagna led the way with two shots on goal apiece.
- Cagna’s tally was the fifth on the year, tied for second on Iona’s individual leaderboard.
- 2023 MAAC Golden Glove winner, Juan Alfaro Monge, made four saves in goal for the Gaels.
Rider earns the MAAC automatic bid to the NCAA Championship. The Broncs will find out their opponent during the Division I NCAA men's soccer selection show on Monday, Nov. 13 at 1 p.m. ET. The selection show can be streamed live on
NCAA.com.
| 2023 MAAC Men’s Soccer All-Championship Team |
| James Cotter |
Manhattan |
| Ensa Sanneh |
Manhattan |
| Magnus Saaby |
Siena |
| Henrik Winkelmann |
Siena |
| Camil Azzam Ruiz |
Iona |
| Thiago Cagna |
Iona |
| Tim Timchenko |
Iona |
| Zaki Alibou |
Rider |
| Babacar Diene |
Rider |
| Sebastian Rojek |
Rider |
| Momo Diop (MVP) |
Rider |
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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