In gala award ceremonies Friday night and Saturday afternoon, the NSCAA (National Soccer Coaches Association of America) presented prestigious awards to the Monroe Mustangs women's soccer team, who were 2014 NJCAA Division I National Champions.  Head coach Jonathan Garbar was named 2014 NSCAA/Field Turf Coach of the Year, standout sophomore defender Lorina White was the 2014 NSCAA/Continental Tire All-America Player of the Year, and three Mustangs, White, and sophomores Christina Jean-Charles and Ana Carol Rodrigues, were First-team All-Americans.
 
The 2014 Mustangs national championship season was nothing short of remarkable and these rewards are the icing on the cake.  Monroe finished with an 18-1-1 record, advanced to the national championship game on a thrilling penalty kick semifinal, and claimed their first-ever national title on a goal by Rodrigues with just over four minutes remaining in double-overtime.
 
Rodrigues, a 5'8" Brazilian forward, was the Mustangs most prolific scorer, scoring 19 goals and passing for nine assists.   She netted some of Monroe's most important goals of the season, scoring the game-winner in the District final as well as the penultimate goal in the championship game.  This powerful forward will be continuing her college career in the fall at the University of Central Florida.
 
The 5'5" White, who hails from Poughkeepsie, NY, anchored Monroe's impenetrable defense that authored 11 shutouts and allowed only ten goals through the entire season including playoffs.  One of the quickest defenders in the NJCAA, she was selected to the national tournament's All-Tournament first team.
 
White's backfield mate, the 5'7" Jean-Charles, who hails from New City, NY, used her perfect combination of athleticism and technical ability to help stymie some of the nation's most prolific scoring teams right through the national final game.  She was named an NJCAA first-team All-American and is continuing her college career at Oklahoma State.
 
Coach Garbar has been the head coach of the Mustangs since 2012, Monroe's first year as a Division I program.  In that time Monroe has amassed a 45-4 record and were 2013 and 2014 Region and District Champions and 2014 National Champions. In his three years as head coach he has developed seven All-Americans, including this year's NSCAA Player of the Year.

Coach Garbar is the second Monroe coach to be recognized by the NSCAA.  Monroe's men's soccer coach Marcus Dibernardo won the award for the 2011 season.