Bettendorf, IA—A third consecutive shutout landed the No. 17 Marshalltown Community College men's soccer team its sixth-straight victory to open the 2015 season as the Tigers defeated Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) opponent Scott Community College 4-0 on Saturday afternoon.
The Tigers remain the lone undefeated team in the ICCAC at 6-0-0, upping its conference record to 3-0-0 on the year which is tied with No. 9 Iowa Western Community College (5-1-1/3-0-0). David Gomez (Marshalltown, IA/Marshalltown) scored the game's first goal in the opening half while Thiago Fernandes (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil/Colegio Dom Oton Mota) added a goal early in on in the second half to give MCC a 2-0 lead.
Lucas Pinheiro (Fortalez, Brazil/Andeline Costa) netted his first-career goal just 10 minutes after Fernandes' strike to extend the lead. Freshman Sirleaf Wiah (Brooklyn Park, MN/Prairie Seeds) capped the scoring for the undefeated Tigers in the closing minutes. Isaac Moore (Des Moines, IA/Herbert Hoover) was credited with the assist.
Freshman goalkeeper Rafael Pereira (Lisbon, Portugal/Escola Secundaria Vergilio Ferreira) extended his consecutive scoreless streak in net to 289:80 after stopping three shots in 80 minutes of action. Freshman John Spells (Round Rock, TX/Round Rock) made his first appearance in net, blanking the Eagles for the final 10 minutes, making one save.
The Tigers fired 27 total shots on the day, including 11 on net. The Tigers rank second in the nation in total shots on the year with 144.
Gomez put MCC on the board in the 23rd minute on a combination of passes from Artur Aguiar (Fortaleza, Brazil/7 de Setembro) and Fernandes in the attacking third. Pereira and the MCC defense maintained the Tigers' minimal lead through the first 45 minutes of play. Gomez now has seven points in the team's last three matches.
Fernandes provided some comfort in the 65th minute after following his own shot and buried his first-career goal on the rebound. Pinheiro's goal came via a free kick for the Tigers in the 75th minute. Wiah, also converting his first-career goal, gave MCC all the insurance it needed in the 85th minute.
The Tigers' schedule toughens up this week as MCC welcomes Iowa Central Community College (2-1-0/2-1-0) at 4:00 PM on Tuesday before travelling to Council Bluffs, IA to take on Iowa Western at 2:00 PM on Saturday.