NEW ROCHELLE, NY — In their final regular season game of the 2015 season, the Iona College men’s soccer team drew against the Manhattan Jaspers, 2-2. Honoring seniors, goalkeeper Jacobo Aparicio, and manager/director of basketball operations Sean Kassouf, the Gaels finished the regular season with a 9-6-3 overall record, and a 5-3-2 mark in the MAAC.
On a rain soaked Mazzella Field, the Gaels opened the scoring early in the first half at the 5:51 mark. Junior Jordan Scarlett fired a shot on goal that ricocheted its way onto the foot of freshman Daniel Huertas, who pounded home his league leading ninth goal of the season. For the majority of the first half, the Maroon & Gold dominated the offensive zone, firing nine shots on goal, and maintaining the majority of the possession.
As the second 45’ got underway, the Jaspers turned up their energy and applied heavy pressure on the Iona defense. In the 54th minute, Manhattan got on the board and knotted the game at one with a strike from junior Niels Kirch. Senior defenseman Abraham Bartoah fed it to Kirch in the box, who rocketed a shot into the lower left corner past Aparicio in net.
Bartoah wasn’t done gathering the points; he scored Manhattan’s second goal of the game at 76:31, taking in a pass from junior Timmy O’Driscoll and knocking in his second goal of the season.
Heading into the final ten minutes down a goal, Iona used a set piece to knot the score at two. Sophomore Luis Mendoza tapped a free kick ball to Scarlett, who fed in a gorgeous ball into the box from nearly the midfield line. Fellow defenseman, freshman Humbert Ferrer, was able to get his head on the ball and flick it into goal for the game-tying score.
Two red cards and four yellow cards were issued in the contest, leading into a ten-on-ten extra time. The Gaels had three shots in overtime, the Jaspers managed two; Aparicio had to make one of his two saves in the opening extra time period on a shot from Manhattan freshman Dahrius Waldron.
Iona’s next contest will be down in Buena Vista, Florida as part of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference men’s soccer championship. The postseason tournament is set to begin on Wed. November 4, time is currently TBA.
