THE BASICS
Rhode Island (0-0-0) vs. Iona (0-0-0)
Kickoff: Thursday, Aug. 21, 7:05 p.m. EST
Live Stats | ESPN+ | Match Notes

RHODE ISLAND VS. IONA - SERIES NOTES

• Rhode Island and Iona are playing for the third time in program history.
• URI has won both previous meetings, taking a 6-1 victory in 1994 and a 2-0 road win in 2009. 
• Iona is the two-time defending Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference champion and was picked to win the league again in the conference preseason poll.
• Rhody head coach Gareth Elliott is 2-3-1 in his career against Iona, with all of the matches coming during his time as the head coach at Siena.
• Iona is visiting the URI Soccer Complex for the first time in 31 seasons.

A LOOK AT THE OPPONENT 

• Iona head coach James Hamilton is entering his 10th season at the school and has an overall record of 72-59-18.
• Over the last two seasons, the Gaels are a combined 23-9-3 while winning back-to-back MAAC regular-season titles. Last year, Iona also won the MAAC tournament, clinching an NCAA Championship bid.
• Iona fell to eventual national champion Vermont in the opening round, 5-0.
• Among the 14 returning letterwinners for Iona is goalie Fernando Alves Schmelz. 
• All All-MAAC Second Team selection last season, the sophomore allowed 12 goals in 11 starts.
• Like Rhode Island, Iona has several transfers on its roster. Midfielder Aitor Jorde was a Division II Conference Commissioners Association All-Atlantic Region Team selection in each of the last two seasons while at Slippery Rock. 
• Of the 15 juniors and seniors on the Iona roster, 11 transferred to the school.
• By contrast, only one of the team's 11 sophomores is a transfer.

SCHWAB, SANCHIS TO SERVE AS CAPTAINS   

• Redshirt junior Brett Schwab and senior Joan Sanchis have been selected as the Rhode Island team captains for the 2025 season.
• Schwab, an East Providence, R.I. native, is entering his fourth season in Kingston and has played both defender and midfield for the Rams.
• After redshirting as a freshman, Schwab has played in 30 matches over the last two years, making 15 starts.
• Sanchis is in his second season with URI.
• The midfielder from Valencia, Spain started all 16 matches that he played last season.
• He scored three goals for the Rams in 2024.
• Sanchis is the only returning member of the team who scored a goal for URI last season.