NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., August 24, 2018 – Ranked No. 3 in the NJCAA Division I Men's Soccer Preseason Poll, Monroe Mustangs men's soccer will look to reach its fifth-consecutive NJCAA Div. I Men's Soccer National Championship Tournament, as the Mustangs take the field to open the 2018 season on Saturday, Aug. 25 against No. 15 CCBC-Essex in Baltimore, Md.
 
Region XV Champions for the second-straight season, the Monroe Mustangs ended the 2017 season ranked No. 7 in NJCAA Div. I, with a 13-2-2 record. The Mustangs did not lose a game during the regular season, before falling to 15th-ranked Mercer County Community College in the Northeast District Final.
 
Still though, the Mustangs earned a bid to the NJCAA Div. I Men's Soccer National Championship Tournament where they beat Kansas City Kansas Community College, 5-1, before falling to Schoolcraft College, 2-0, ending their postseason run.
 
Four Mustangs were named All-Americans following the season, and seven total picked up postseason awards, while Svyat Kozak became the second-ever Monroe student-athlete selected to CoSIDA Academic All-America® Team.
 
Two of the Mustangs' top-four goal scorers return in Lucas Nishioka and Javier Rodriguez. Nishioka scored seven goals for the Mustangs, adding 10 assists, while Rodriguez scored four goals to go along with three assists.
 
Also returning for their sophomore seasons include Jorge Figueroa, who started all 15 games he played in last season, and Christian Valencia, who saw action in 13 games. Homayoun Alidad, Sergio Escribano, Dominic Dixon and Carlos Ordonez also join the roster in their second year with the program, making the jump from the Mustangs JV squad.
 
Following their opener against the Knights, the Mustangs wrap up their opening weekend at the CCBC-Essex Tournament against Harford Community College. The Mustangs will play two teams, CCBC-Essex and Mercer County, ranked in the NJCAA Div. I Preseason Poll, and another in Monroe Community College that received votes.
The Mustangs open their home slate against Bunker Hill Community College at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29 at Flowers Park, and follow that up by hosting Harcum College on Saturday, Oct. 6. They open Region XV play on Saturday, Sept. 22, at SUNY Ulster, and will take on rival ASA College on Friday, Oct. 12 in Brooklyn, N.Y.
 
The Mustangs kickoff the 2018 season against CCBC-Essex in Baltimore, Md. at 4 p.m. as part of the CCBC-Essex Tournament.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 26 teams competing across nine sports. There are 18 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's rugby, and the newly added club women's rugby team, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Monroe Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, will have six teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level beginning in the fall of 2017.
 
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).