Niagara University Athletics

Niagara University, N.Y. — Tommy Mittelstadt scored twice in the second half, including the go-ahead goal in the 83rd minute, to lift Niagara to a 2-1 league win over Iona on Saturday at Niagara Field.

Niagara improves to 4-5-3, 3-2-2, in conference action while Iona falls to 3-5-6, 2-2-4 in Metro action.

Iona carried the early play and outshot Niagara 7-3 over the first 45 minutes, though the Purple Eagles' defense held for most of it. Wyles stopped Francesco Borla's low shot from the left side in the ninth minute and denied Borla again in the 16th. Borla then hit the left post in the 22nd.

Niagara's first look came in the 11th minute, when Reon Tezuka fired a shot that missed the target. The Purple Eagles earned a corner kick on the sequence. Paddy Kildee-Doolan put Niagara's only first-half shot on goal in the 14th minute, but Iona goalkeeper Adriano Sofio saved it. Tezuka's 26th-minute attempt was blocked, leading to another corner.

Antonio Pratas picked up Niagara's lone yellow card in the 20th minute. The Purple Eagles were also flagged for offside once.

Iona broke through in the 29th minute. Ricardo Vivo Calderon set up Aritz Ortigosa for the goal, which gave the Gaels a 1-0 lead. Niagara had a chance to answer late and earned its third first-half corner kick in the 45th minute, but the half ended with the Purple Eagles trailing.

Niagara changed its look at the start of the second half, sending its starters back out, and the Purple Eagles were far more dangerous. Wyles kept the deficit at one early, stopping Vivo Calderon's shot in the 49th minute.

Niagara pulled even in the 63rd minute. Pratas got a shot off, and Mittelstadt scored moments later off an assist from Tetsunari Fujishiro to make it 1-1. 

Fujishiro ➡️ Mittelstadt to tie it up!! 64' | Purple Eagles 1, Gaels 1 #EaglesTakeFlight https://t.co/yTI1XTJhDm

— Niagara Men's Soccer (@NiagaraMSOC) October 24, 2026

Iona pushed for the lead over the next 15 minutes, and Wyles answered every time. He made saves on Ignacio Manzanares in the 65th minute, Sebastian Curti in the 73rd and again on Curti in the 77th. Meanwhile, Niagara kept firing. Dade, Rood Apolon, Pratas and Tezuka all had shots go wide between the 70th and 78th minutes.

Mittelstadt struck again in the 83rd minute to put Niagara ahead for good. He scored off a pass from Apolon and Tezuka. The score came just 25 seconds after Wyles made his seventh and final save, a stop on Manzanares.

Make that ✌️for Tommy Mittelstadt!! 83' | Purple Eagles 2, Gaels 1 #EaglesTakeFlight https://t.co/R03NoXDBQf

— Niagara Men's Soccer (@NiagaraMSOC) October 24, 2026

Niagara Notes
• Niagara improves to 11-11-1 all-time against Iona
• Mittelstadt recorded his first multi goal game
• Tezuka is on a three-game point streak as he has recorded five points in that span
• Apolon picked up his first collegiate point
• Three Purple Eagles played the full 90

Up Next
Niagara men's soccer is back in action on Wednesday, October 28 as they head to Emmitsburg, MD to take on Mount St. Mary's for a 2 p.m. start.