Boston College men's soccer team opened their 2024 season on Thursday evening with a 2-2 draw against Iona at the Newton Soccer Complex. The Eagles appeared to be in control with a 2-0 lead at halftime, but the Gaels mounted a strong comeback in the second half to secure a tie.
The Eagles struck first in the third minute when Ask Ekeland scored his debut goal for the team. His powerful shot from 25 yards out sailed into the top corner, putting Boston College ahead early. Ekeland doubled the lead in the 38th minute with another impressive strike, this time assisted by Marci Killeen, who provided a clever back-heel pass to set up the goal.
Despite their dominant first half, Boston College couldn’t hold off Iona in the second half. Iona's Sergio Gonzalez Fernandez cut the deficit to one in the 61st minute with a long-range effort. The Gaels continued to press, and in the 67th minute, Dino Feratovic headed home the equalizer off an assist from Jad Benjelloun. This marked Feratovic's first career goal and Benjelloun's third career assist.
The match remained tightly contested, with Boston College narrowly outshooting Iona 14-13, and holding a 6-5 edge in shots on goal. Iona, however, capitalized on their corner kicks, leading Boston College 9-6 in that department, including a strong 5-2 advantage in the first half.
Both teams had opportunities to snatch a late winner, with Boston College nearly regaining the lead in the 79th minute, only to be denied by Iona's determined defense. Freshman goalkeeper Fernando Schmelz made a crucial save in the 82nd minute, keeping the score level until the final whistle.
The Eagles will look to bounce back from this draw when they face Providence on Monday at 5:30 p.m. Meanwhile, Iona continues their season-opening road swing with a matchup against Loyola Maryland on Thursday, August 29.
