No. 6 Siena Upsets No. 3 Iona, 2-1, In Quarterfinal
MAAC Sports
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL – Second half goals by senior Brittany Pfaff and freshman Tara Sobierajski powered No. 6 seed Siena College past No. 3 seed Iona College 2-1, in quarterfinal round action of the 2013 MAAC Championship.
The win puts the Saints, now 11-8-1, into the semifinals against No. 2 seed Fairfield. The Stags battled No. 10 seed Manhattan to 0-0 double OT tie, but advance after beating the Jaspers 4-2 in penalty kicks. Both semifinal round games on Sunday will be broadcast on ESPN3.
Iona took a 1-0 lead at 36:40 of the first half when Nicole Paulucci scored from eight yards out on the right side after a pair of quick passes from Safi Ayinde and Melissa Frederick.
Siena knotted the score when Pfaff, the MAAC’s leading scorer, tallied on a breakaway goal from 13-yards out. Taylor D’Alfonso collected the assist.
Sobierajski, a freshman, scored the game winner at 67:50 on a free kick from 23 yards out. Sobierajski found the far corner of the net for the score. It was her fourth goal of the season, and her third game winner.
Siena outshot Iona 11-10. Saints goalie Taylor Booth made four saves while Iona goalie Trista Rivera made two saves before being replaced by Jacquelyn Gates after 83:26.
The loss ended the Gaels season at 7-8-4.