NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., November 2, 2023 – Last year's East District Championship final saw Montgomery College upset the No. 1-ranked Monroe College men's soccer team, but the Mustangs got the last laugh by making a run to its second NJCAA Div. I Men's Soccer Championship as an at-large selection. After winning their respective brackets of the 2023 East District Championship tournament, the Mustangs and Raptors are set to go head-to-head once again for an automatic bid to the 2023 NJCAA Div. I Men's Soccer Championship.
 
CHAMPIONSHIP INFORMATION
2023 NJCAA Division I East District Championship Final
Saturday, Nov. 4 – 11:00 AM
Monroe College vs. Montgomery College
Skidelsky Field – Flowers (City) Park – New Rochelle, NY
 
SEMIFINAL COVERAGE
Live Video: YouTube.com/MonroeMustangs  
Live Stats: MonroeCollegeMustangs.com/MSOCLiveStats
 
HOW WE GOT HERE
The East District Championship was split into two brackets, with representatives from Regions 3, 15 and 19 making up the Northern Bracket, while Region 20 counted as the Southern Bracket. By defeating Region 19's Harcum College and Region 3's Monroe Community College during the regular season, the Mustangs earned the North's top seed and a quarterfinal-round bye. Monroe Community College defeated Harcum in the quarterfinal, setting up a semifinal matchup between the Mustangs and Tribunes this past Wednesday in New Rochelle.
 
The Mustangs got on the board quickly in Wednesday's semifinal when Ryosuke Tanaka gave Monroe a 1-0 lead in the fifth minute of the game. After holding the one-goal lead through halftime, Tanaka got on the board again in the 58th minute, making it a 2-0 lead for Monroe, which proved to be the final score that advanced the Mustangs to Saturday's final.
 
In Region 20, Harford Community College defeated Montgomery during the regular season, earning hosting duties for the one-match Region 20 Championship. In last Saturday's matchup, Montgomery got on the board first when Ahmadou Koita scored at 38'. On the other side of the break, Harford's Jude Hill tied the game in the 50th minute. At 75', Nathan Booth gave the Raptors the lead for good, helping secure a 2-1 victory for Montgomery.
 
MUSTANGS TEAM LEADERS
The 10-2-1 Mustangs are led offensively by Tal Torgeman, who has produced team-highs of 18 points and seven goals this season despite not playing in Wednesday's semifinal win. Tanaka takes over second on the team after his two goals on Wednesday gave him six on the season. He is tied with Gun Ha Lee with 14 points, while Lee has matched Torgeman with four assists to lead the team. Lee's five goals are even with Felipe Jaime Arruda and Sunao Yamamoto for third on the team.
 
Monroe's goal differential improved to 41-8 on Wednesday, a huge credit to a strong and deep back line. Monroe is allowing just 4.4 shot attempts per game through 13 matches, including just four for the Tribunes in the semifinal game. Just 28 shots have gone on goal for Monroe's opponents this season, a big help to starting goalkeepers Alvaro Ramos and Riku Yamasaki. Ramos made his seventh start of the season on Wednesday, earning his second individual shutout to improve his record to 5-1-1, his goals-against average to 0.55 and his save percentage to .765. Yamasaki is 5-1-0 on the year with a 0.73 goals-against average and .556 save percentage.
 
SCOUTING THE RAPTORS
The Raptors enter Saturday's final with an 11-5-1 overall record. They have outscored opponents, 75-20, on the season, though they were beaten by the Mustangs by a score of 7-0 back on Sept. 3. The Raptors had an early-season 1-1 tie with Harcum College, dropped a tight 2-1 decision to a highly ranked Tyler Junior College in late September, and defeated CCBC Essex, 5-1, on Sept. 14, a team that upset the Mustangs a few weeks ago.
 
Carl Romberg is the NJCAA's leader with 1.38 goals per game and 3.23 points per game this season, totaling 18 goals and six assists for 42 points to lead the Raptors in all three categories. Ahmadou Koita has eight goals on the year, while both Oliver Skinner and Ismael Deme have six goals apiece. Cesare Biasci and Jason Guevara both match Romberg with six assists on the season.
 
Thomas Mauro has made 10 starts for the Raptors, though it was Youssouf Moumban in net for Montgomery in Saturday's win over Harford. Mauro has a 1.43 goals-against average and a .722 save percentage on the season. Moumban has made just three starts, but they came in three of Montgomery's last four games. In that time, he's accumulated a 0.80 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage, stopping 19-of-21 shots on goal.
 
WHAT'S AT STAKE?
Saturday's District Final will determine the East District's automatic qualifier for the 2023 NJCAA Div. I Men's Soccer Championship, which will be held at the Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita, Kan., from Nov. 12-18. Last year, Montgomery picked up an upset victory over the previously undefeated Mustangs in the East District Final, resulting in two East District teams making the national tournament after Monroe came in as the No. 3 seed with an at-large selection. Both teams are looking to make it two straight seasons in the national tournament, while the Mustangs would have a shot at winning back-to-back national titles if they earn their way back to the NJCAA Championship.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 28 teams competing across nine sports. There are 20 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well the Monroe College marching band, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, 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 Mustangs Athletics), Twitter (@Monroe_Mustangs) and Instagram (@monroemustangs).