LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Pablo DeCastro (Madrid, Spain/Universidad Francisco de Vitoria) scored the Broncs’ first goal and assisted on the game-winner as the Rider University men’s soccer team defeated Iona, 3-1, to open conference play Wednesday night on Ben Cohen Field. With the win, the Broncs are now 2-5-1 (1-0-0 MAAC), while the Gaels fall to 4-3-1 (0-1-0 MAAC).

In the 38^th minute, Mathis Catanzaro’s (Montpellier, France/MHSC) shot was saved, but DeCastro knocked in the rebound to give the Broncs a 1-0 lead.

After Iona tied the game in the 60^th minute on a strike from Najim Romero, the Broncs retook the lead in the 72^nd minute with a goal scored by Arthur Herpreck (Brest, France/West Brittany). The game-winning goal came off Elliott Otmani’s (La Ciotat, France/Bonaparte) corner kick headed on by DeCastro and hit inside the right post on one bounce by Herpreck. In the 82^nd minute, Otmani converted a penalty kick to put the game away after Santiago Garcia Castro (Philadelphia, PA/Prep Charter) was taken down in the box.
 

Quotes and Notes

“It was a good goal that Arthur pulled out. I think it just kind of energized us and we needed it. Good for Arthur stepping up.”

(On Mathis Catanzaro and Clement Bourret being back in the line-up) “You can see it in the attack – those guys were a little winded and they maybe put in 40 good minutes each for us. Hopefully we’re going to keep working them in a little bit. Obviously it doesn’t take a soccer genius to see the difference when those guys are in there.”

“We’ve been losing so many close ones that we really needed to pull out a close one. So we did. It wasn’t pretty, but we take it and move on to the next one.” – Rider Head Coach Charlie Inverso

- Rider evened the all-time series with the Gaels, 10-10-1.
- Rider is now 5-2-1 in conference openers under Head Coach Charlie Inverso.
- The Broncs snapped a three-game losing skid with the win.
- Rider scored three goals after entering the game having scored just twice this season.
- Catanzaro made his season debut and Clement Bourret (Orleans, France/Lycee Jean Giraudoux) played for the first time since the season opener on Aug. 24. 
 

Broncs By The Numbers
- Pablo Gatinois  (Madrid, Spain/Lycee Francais de Madrid [Oregon State]) earned the win in goal for the Broncs and made four saves.
- Iona took a 11-10 edge in shots, including a 5-4 advantage in shots on goal.
- The Gaels also took five corner kicks to the Broncs’ three.  
- DeCastro led the Broncs with four shots, including two on goal. Otmani added three shots, with one on target.

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