MELBOURNE, Fla., November 15, 2019 – The 2019 NJCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship is set to begin on Monday, Nov. 18. The Monroe College Mustangs women's soccer team enters the tournament as the No. 1 seed, looking to defend its 2018 NJCAA Championship. Monroe will compete in Pool A, joined by No. 8 Laramie County Community College and No. 12 Monroe Community College.
 
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION:
Orlando Health Stadium – Eastern Florida State College – Melbourne, Fla.
Monday, Nov. 18 – Saturday, Nov. 23
 
TOURNAMENT COVERAGE:
NJCAA Championship TV
www.NJCAAChampsTV.com
NJCAA Championship TV App (available on iOS, Android and most streaming devices)
 
Live Stats link will be added when it is made available.
 
POOL A:
No. 1 Monroe College – 11-0
No. 8 Laramie County Community College – 14-1-2
No. 12 Monroe Community College – 13-4-2
 
SCHEDULE:
Monday, Nov. 18 – 10 AM
No. 1 Monroe College vs. No. 12 Monroe Community College
 
Tuesday, Nov. 19 – 10 AM
No. 8 Laramie County vs. No. 12 Monroe Community College
 
Wednesday, Nov. 20 – 10 AM
No. 1 Monroe College vs. No. 8 Laramie County
 
No. 1 Monroe College
How they got here: The Mustangs went undefeated through the regular season and then defeated the Community College of Rhode Island in the Region XV/XIX Championship to qualify for the Northeast District Championship. There, Monroe defeated both Frederick Community College and No. 12-ranked CCBC-Essex to claim the district title.
 
Leaders: Sydoney Clarke is second in the NJCAA with an average of 2.64 goals per game, while her 29 scores in 11 games rank ninth. She is fourth in the nation with 6.00 points per game and ninth with 66 total points. Luana Grabias ranks ninth in the NJCAA with 4.36 points per game and 10th with 1.82 goals per game. Paula DePaiva Toledo is 11th in the NJCAA leaderboards with 1.09 assists per game.
 
Goalkeeper Stefane Rosa, who has a perfect 11-0 record heading into the national tournament, ranks fifth in the NJCAA with a .900 save percentage. Her goals-against average of 0.45 is sixth best in the NJCAA, while her seven shutouts are tied for eighth. Rosa has played all 990 minutes in net for the Mustangs this season.
 
Additional facts: The Mustangs have not lost in 28 games, with a 27-0-1 record over that span. Monroe ranked No. 1 in the NJCAA Div. I Women's Soccer Rankings every week of the season, including the preseason poll. Monroe leads the NJCAA with 7.82 goals per game this season, and have allowed the sixth fewest goals per game (0.45) in the nation.
 
No. 8 Laramie County
How they got here: Despite dropping the Region IX/North Plains District Championship to Gillette Community College, the Golden Eagles' only loss of the season, Laramie County earned an at-large bid into the national tournament after finishing the season ranked No. 6 in the country.
 
Leaders: Beyonce Robinson is the team's leader with 45 points and 19 goals this season. Faith Meredith adds 38 points on 14 goals and a team-high 10 assists. Goalkeeper Larissa Sitzler owns a 0.62 goals-against average, a .778 save percentage and a 13-1-2 record.
 
Additional facts: The Golden Eagles have allowed just nine goals all season across their 17 contests. They opened the season at No. 10 in the preseason rankings and reached as high as No. 3 before the postseason. This is the fifth straight season that Laramie County has qualified for the NJCAA Women's Soccer Championship.
 
No. 12 Monroe Community College
How they got here: The Tribunes earned their way into the tournament by winning first the Region III Championship over Mercyhurst North East, and then by defeating both College of Lake County and Muskegon Community College in the NJCAA Great Lakes District Championship to earn the district title.
 
Leaders: Katrina Yencer leads the Tribunes with 45 points on a team-high 16 goals to go with 13 assists. Gaia Iacuzzi is right behind with 39 points on 15 goals and nine assists. Efi Brame's 12 assists are second on the team, while her 26 points are third most. In 19 games, three goalkeepers have made at least four starts for the Tribunes.
 
Additional facts: The Tribunes and Mustangs have faced off twice this season, with the Mustangs coming out on top each time. The Tribunes' last loss came to the Mustangs on Oct. 12, and they have since won five straight games with a 27-0 scoring margin. Monroe Community College opened the season as the No. 6-ranked team in the NJCAA Preseason Poll.
 
The winner of Pool A will advance to the semifinals of the NJCAA Championship tournament. Semifinal matchups will take place on Friday, Nov. 22, with the championship game then set for Saturday, Nov. 23.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 31 teams competing across nine sports. There are 19 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's and women's rugby, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has 12 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).