EDISON, NJ, (Nov. 9, 2025) – Fairfield University and Iona University both earned convincing wins in the first round of the 2025 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Men’s Soccer Championship on Sunday, November 9.
No. 3 Iona – 5 | No. 6 Quinnipiac – 0
Mazzella Field | NEW ROCHELLE, NY
Box Score
No. 3 Iona (9-3-5) had an offensive eruption in a 5-0 shutout win over No. 6 Quinnipiac (7-10-1) in the first round on Sunday at Mazzella Field in New Rochelle, NY.
The defending MAAC Champion Gaels scored early and often, getting on the board first in the 16
th minute when Calle Sjoberg found Alvaro Maneiro just outside the box, where Maneiro dribbled past the defensive back before firing a shot to the far post to put Iona up 1-0. In the 33
rd minute, Iona extended its lead to 2-0 behind a Yannik Vogel goal. The Gaels kept their foot on the gas, scoring six minutes into the second half by way of a right footed one-timer to the far post by Storm Schmidt Hollensted, extending the lead to 3-0. Just three minutes later, Maneiro used a right-footed shot which found the back of the net for a 4-0 Iona lead. Iona capped off the afternoon with one more goal by Maneiro, this time coming from a cross into the box from Matias Mancheno that found Maneiro in the center of the box for a header that put Iona in a 5-0 advantage.
Iona Notes and Notables
- Iona matched its season-best of five goals – also scored five goals against Saint Peter’s on October 1 – and tallied a season-high 17 points.
- Nine different Gaels registered a point, headlined by the first career hat trick from Maneiro.
- Schmidt Hollensted tally was his third of the season, while the goal from Vogel was his first in 2025.
- Six Gaels dished out an assist, led by two from Sjoberg.
- Iona had a 12-10 advantage in shots, with half its shots on goal (6).
- Maneiro was the team leader in shots, taking four, with all three of his shots on goal finding the back of the net, while eight different players logged one shot apiece.
- In net, sophomore Fernando Alves Schmelz registered a career-high seven saves and his fourth shutout of the season.
- The Gaels advance to the semifinal round for the fourth year in a row.
Quinnipiac Notes and Notables
- Quinnipiac held the slight edge in shots on goal (7-6).
- The Bobcats also had a 4-3 corner kick advantage.
- A pair of players had two shots to lead Quinnipiac, in Alex Miller and reserve Andrew Monteserin.
- Monteserin led the team with both his shots on goal.
- Starting goalkeeper Matthew Pisani, made one saves in the setback.
- This is the second straight season Quinnipiac was eliminated in the first round.
No. 4 Fairfield – 4 | No. 5 Niagara – 1
Lessing Field | FAIRFIELD, CT
Box Score
No. 4 Fairfield (7-4-5) handled No. 5 Niagara (8-6-1), 4-1 in the first round of the championship inside of Lessing Field in Fairfield, CT on Sunday.
The Stags picked up three goals (scored two) over an 11 minute timespan midway through the first half to put the game out of reach. An own goal by a Niagara defender in the 13
th minute put Fairfield ahead 1-0. Just a few minutes later, Sean Albritton received a feed from Illia Tyrkus in the box and found the back of the net, giving the Stags a 2-0 lead (19’). Five minutes after the second goal, in the 24
th minute of play, William Pierce sent a shot that caught the corner, for a 3-0 advantage. Fairfield added one more tally in the second half, coming in the 56
th minute, this time with Pierce sending a ball to Tyrkus who’s shot landed inside the far post to give the Stags a controlling 4-0 lead. Niagara ended the shutout bid in the 76
th minute, when Landon Hungerford was able to come away with the ball at the top of the box and bend a shot in the upper corner of the goal to bring the score to 4-1.
Fairfield Notes and Notables
- Fairfield finished the day with 12 shots and six shots on goal.
- The Stags had an advantage in corner kicks (9-6).
- Tyrkus was the team leader in points (3) with his one goal and one assist and led the squad in shots with three.
- Albritton and Pierce each added one goal.
- Goalkeeper Evan Chomow finished with six stops in the victory.
- The four goals were the second-most goals in a game this season for the Stags, one short of the five the team scored at Marist on October 1.
- Fairfield extended its current unbeaten streak to nine games dating back to October 1.
- The postseason win was the first for Fairfield since 2021 and this will also be the team’s first semifinals appearance since 2021.
Niagara Notes and Notables
- Niagara matched Fairfield with 12 shots but had the edge in shots on goal 8-6.
- Fours Purple Eagles recorded two or more shots, led by three coming from Jeremy Talsma.
- The trio of Hungerford, Niklas Kneller, and Paddy Kildee-Doolan each accounted for two shots, with one of Hungerford’s being the lone goal for the team.
- Goalie Grant Wyles made three saves for the Purple Eagles in the losing effort.
- This was the fourth time in the past five postseason appearances that Niagara has failed to make it out of the first round of the championship.
The 2025 MAAC Men’s Soccer Championship will resume on Thursday, November 13 with the semifinals and will conclude with the championship final on Sunday, November 16.
No. 2 Siena University will host No. 3 Iona at 1:00 p.m. and No. 1 Sacred Heart University will host No. 4 Fairfield at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday in the semifinals.
For all information regarding the 2025 MAAC Men’s Soccer Championship, please visit
maacsports.com/msoc.
Tickets for all rounds of the championship can be purchased by visiting
maacsports.com/tickets.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 13 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 45th year of competition during the 2025-26 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius University, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan University, Marist University, Merrimack College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Sacred Heart University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena University.
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