ROCKVILLE, Md., September 3, 2023 – Make it five straight shutouts and four in a row to open 2023 for the No. 1-ranked Monroe College Mustangs men's soccer team, as they blanked East District counterpart Montgomery College, 7-0, Sunday afternoon. The Mustangs improve to 4-0 on the season with the win, while the Raptors take their first loss to fall to 3-1-1.
The Mustangs' run of dominant defense remained strong on Sunday, as the Mustangs are now outscoring opponents, 24-0, through four matches this season. Their shutout streak stretches back five games, beginning with a 2-0 victory over Arizona Western College in the 2022 NJCAA Div. I Men's Soccer Championship final.
The Mustangs continued to split goalkeeping duties between starter
Riku Yamasaki and
Alvaro Ramos on Sunday, with Yamasaki earning his fourth win and each keeper making one save apiece. Montgomery's Thomas Mauro made nine stops, but yielded seven goals to take the loss.
The Mustangs ended a scoreless tie in the 34th minute when
Diogo Bastos potted one to make it a 1-0 lead for Monroe. That lead held through the end of the first half before the Mustangs once again exploded in the final 45 minutes.
Tal Torgeman picked things up for Monroe in the second half, scoring off an assist from
Taiga Matoba in the 50th minute to make it a 2-0 game. The Mustangs then earned a penalty kick in the 68th minute, pushing the lead to three when
Felipe Jaime Arruda beat the keeper.
Even with the big lead, the Mustangs turned the heat up even hotter in the final 20 minutes.
Thiago Jose Da Silva got on the board in the 72nd minute, and then
Gun Ha Lee was set up by
Alejandro Silvestrini at '76 to make it a 5-0 game. Lee then assisted
Henrique Lobato for a goal in the 78th minute, and
Panashe Makokowe netted one off a feed from
Taisei Iida with just 79 seconds remaining to cap off the 7-0 win.
The Mustangs made a statement in Sunday's conquest, outshooting their hosts, 31-4, with a 16-4 edge in shots on goal. Montgomery held a 4-1 advantage in corner kicks.
The Mustangs are now off for the next 12 days before getting back to work with their home opener against Lake Tahoe Community College of the CCCAA on Friday, Sept. 15. That game is set to kick off at 1:30 p.m. at Skidelsky Field.
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).
