LOUDONVILLE, NY – Breakthrough. Fifteen previous times Siena Men's Soccer played in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Semifinals, and all 15 times the Saints season ended there. Campbell Stalker made the outcome of the 16^th occasion sweet. Stalker scored the golden goal in the 99^th minute of the first overtime period to send second-seeded Siena to the program's first-ever MAAC Championship Match appearance with a 2-1 triumph over No. 3 seed Iona on Hickey Field.
 
Siena (8-5-4) advances to face top-seeded Sacred Heart in the MAAC Championship Match Sunday at noon on Park Ave Field in Fairfield, Connecticut. The Pioneers secured a similar outcome in their semifinal Thursday night, punching their ticket to the title bout with a 4-3 overtime victory over fourth-seeded Fairfield.
 
Defending MAAC Tournament Champion and preseason favorite Iona (9-4-5) put the Saints in an early hole when Andrey Mora Bravo opened the scoring in the 21^st minute. The Gaels controlled play while out-shooting Siena 6-2 in the opening stanza, but the Saints eventually shook the rust from a 12-day layoff and made the most of a rare first half opportunity to wrestle back momentum.
 
Accustomed to rallying back in matches all season long, Green and Gold secured the equalizer in the 37^th minute as Lucas Almeida continued his torrid campaign, finishing a chested deflection from Thomas Sams. The First Team All-MAAC selection found the back of the net for the third straight contest and fourth time in five matches, a span in which he's now accumulated seven total goals.  
 
Following an evenly played second half, Siena took control during the first sudden victory overtime period. And after knocking on the door of a Championship Match berth in recent years, Stalker and the Saints finally kicked it down.
 
With just over a minute left in the first extra session, MAAC Rookie of the Year Martin Piedeleu made a nifty back heel pass to send reserve Benjamin Fogarty free down the right sideline. Fogarty then chipped across a perfect ball to the far post to the cutting Stalker who volleyed home arguably the biggest goal in program history to send Hickey Field into bedlam.
 
Bennet Glinder made a pair of second half saves for Siena which had entered play 0-13-2 all-time in MAAC Semifinals matches.
 
Fernando Alves Schmelz tallied three saves for the Gaels who were stopped short of a fourth straight MAAC Championship Match appearance.
 
Winners of three straight and unbeaten in 11 of their last 12 (7-1-4), the red-hot Saints will now look to make more history Sunday at Sacred Heart. The teams played to a 1-1 draw during their regular season meeting on Oct. 11 in Loudonville.