Des Moines, IA—One of the best seasons in program history came to a close for the Marshalltown Community College Men's Soccer team on Sunday as the Tigers dropped a heartbreaking 1-0 loss in double overtime of the Region XI Tournament Championship match to Iowa Western Community College at the Cownie Soccer Complex.
The Tigers finish the season with an 18-1-2 record, the fewest losses in program history. MCC broke multiple school records along the way, including most shutouts and longest scoreless streak.
"What an outstanding season," head coach Rafael Martinez said of his team's success. "We accomplished things this year that we didn't even imagine we could. The progression of this team was outstanding. A group of very different individuals gelled together to form a very strong team, that's what allowed us to be successful this year."
"We truly enjoyed each and every day with each other. It was a blast. The interactions, the moments, the experiences we've shared throughout the season was truly incredible. These players have developed relationships that will last forever, I truly believe that."
Sunday's match pitted the top-seeded and sixth ranked Tigers against the second-seeded and No. 12 Reivers. The two team's battled to a pair of scoreless draws in the regular season, 220:00 of zeros across the scoreboard. The championship match proved to be another defensive struggle.
The effort was led by a solid presence from freshman goalkeeper Rafael Pereira (Lisbon, Portugal/Escola Secundaria Vergilio Ferreira). Pereira was tested often throughout the match, continuously holding his own on the backline.
As most of the season has gone, MCC relied heavily on the defense. The Tigers forced an offside early in the match to set the tone. On the far end of the field, the Tiger offense received its first clean look on Iowa Western keeper Josh Blair in the 15th minute as Alberto Morales (Granada, Spain/Santa Fe DH) fired a strike into Blair's hands.
Pereira made two brilliant saves in the span of three minutes, one that forced the keeper to dive on a loose ball near the top of the box in the 39th minute. Pereira's command from the back allowed the Tigers to keep Iowa Western scoreless as halftime struck with a pair of zeroes on the scoreboard.
The Reivers looked to have a scoring opportunity in the 51st minute on a breakaway in the Tiger defensive third, but it was Pereira again, stopping a one-on-one attempt with a kick save.
MCC's opportunity came four minutes later as freshman Thiago Fernandes (Rio de Janeiro/Brazil/Colegio Dom Oton Mota) blasted a shot off of the cross bar, but could not find the back of the net. Less than 10 minutes later, Sergio Beresaluze (Novelda, Spain/Colegio Padre Dehon) put a pair of shots on net, including one that slipped through Blair's hands but fell just short of crossing the goal line.
Regulation concluded with neither side putting a digit on the scoreboard. Pereira was once again tested in the first 10-minute overtime period, making two diving saves as the Tigers stood toe-to-toe with the Reivers through 100:00 of play.
As great as Pereira was throughout Sunday's match, the Reivers were able to score the golden goal in the second overtime. Just three minutes into the period, the Reivers sent a free kick from the far right side. Iowa Western's William Ramirez struck an initial shot near the top of the box, but Pereira was there to make the stop. Ramirez was able to gather the loose ball and finished the shot on an open net to give the Reivers their third consecutive Region XI Championship.
Pereira totaled eight saves in Sunday's match, a career-high. Pereira and Blair rank as the top two goalkeepers in the nation in terms of goals against average. After Sunday's game, Pereira leads the NJCAA with a 0.42 mark while Blair ranks second with a 0.48 average.
"This looked like a championship game," Martinez stated following the match. "A lot of fighting, a lot of battling. You could sense the fear of making mistakes on both ends, especially near the end of the match. No one wanted to lose today."
"We didn't fully develop the game the way we wanted to as it prevented us from playing better. They did a very good job of pressuring us from the outside, which is something we managed well in general, but I think they did a little bit more than us."
"We showed a lot of heart, a lot of desire today. We took control of the game in some parts, especially early on in the second half as Thiago (Fernandes) and Sergio (Beresaluze) had some great looks on net. You don't play finals, you win them, and while it's a motivating statement, it's a reflection of the truth. Unfortunately we were unable to do that today, but I am very proud of this group of talented individuals for all of their hard work and dedication this season."
The 18 wins are the second most in school history, behind the 2007 team's 20 win season. The Tigers clinched the regular season title for the third time in program history.
