Siena Soccer kept its hopes at a MAAC Regular Season Championship intact with a 3-0 triumph over Iona in New Rochelle. Freshman striker Conor McGlynn, sophomore captain J.C. Obregon, and junior captain Milorad Sobot all scored for the Saints which are unbeaten in eight of their past 10 matches.

 

With the win Siena (8-7-3, 6-2-1) assured itself of a top-four seed in the upcoming MAAC Championships, the program’s highest since earning the No. 2 seed in 2012.

 

The Saints also kept their dreams alive at a MAAC Regular Season Championship, which Siena would secure with a win over rival Marist Wednesday in the regular season finale at 2 p.m. at Siena Turf Field, combined with a Rider loss or tie vs. Saint Peter’s, and a Quinnipiac loss at Fairfield. The Saints have never before won a MAAC Regular Season Championship, finishing as high as second six times during the program’s first 27 seasons in the conference.

 

McGlynn opened the scoring in the 32^nd minute when an attempted clear by Iona (5-12, 4-5) goalkeeper Julian Petrello was deflected right to him and he finished his second of the season. The score would remain 1-0 deep into another tightly contested match between the MAAC rivals which featured 29 combined fouls and seven total bookings. Following Saturday’s affair, the all-time series is once again tied at 18-18-2.

 

In the 80^th minute Obregon netted a key insurance tally, blasting home a free kick from just outside the top left corner of the box which he tucked inside the near left post. Just 50 seconds later, Siena was awarded a penalty kick and Sobot converted to deliver the knockout blow as the Saints went on to equal the second most conference victories in program history with their sixth MAAC win. Siena recorded a record seven MAAC wins in both 2008 and 2010, a benchmark they’ll have a chance to match Wednesday.

 

The Gaels held a 19-11 advantage in shots which included 16 attempts in the second half, but junior goalkeeper Aleksa Radosavljevic made five saves to post his third clean sheet of the season. Iona did have some near misses however, hitting two crossbars and a post.

 

Petrello made six saves for the Gaels, while Daniel Huertas and Luis Mendoza paced the Iona offense with five shots apiece.