FOLEY, Ala., November 16, 2018 –
Yolanda Albalat scored the difference-maker to lift the No. 2-seeded Monroe College Mustangs women's soccer team to a 1-0 victory over No. 3 Iowa Western Community College in Friday's NJCAA Div. I Women's Soccer Championship semifinal matchup at the Foley Sports Complex. The Mustangs advance to Saturday's NJCAA National Championship game against No. 1 Tyler Junior College with the win, looking to claim their first National Championship since 2014.
After a close and scoreless first half, it took until the 56th minute for the game for the game to see its first score. A cross from the corner into the box got kicked away toward midfield.
Yolanda Albalat was standing at the top of the box to stop the clear. She lined up her shot, and blasted one into the top-left corner of the net to give the Mustangs a 1-0 advantage over the Reivers.
Despite a few chances for the Reivers late in the game,
Marta Alemany continued her incredibly strong play and kept Iowa Western off the board. The Mustangs held on through the final buzzer for the 1-0 victory to advance to Saturday's championship game.
Alemany made six saves and did not allow a goal to improve to 15-0-1 on the season. The shutout was her fourth of the season, and second this week. Iowa Western goalkeeper Whitney Dockweiler had a strong game in net, but allowed one goal to shoulder the loss.
Top-seeded Tyler advanced to Saturday's championship by defeating No. 5 Eastern Florida State College, 2-1, in Friday's earlier semifinal contest. The Apaches will be making their third straight appearance in the NJCAA Championship finals, and are looking to defend last year's title.
The Mustangs and Apaches will face off in Saturday's NJCAA Div. I Women's Soccer Championship game at the Foley Sports Complex. The game is set to kick off at 7 p.m. EST.
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 27 teams competing across nine sports. There are 18 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's and women's rugby, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Monroe Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus as of the fall of 2017, has seven teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level.
For more information about the Monroe Mustangs, please visit us at
www.MonroeCollegeMustangs.com or follow us on social media: Facebook (
Monroe College Athletics), Twitter (
@Monroe_Mustangs) and Instagram (
@monroemustangs).
