Tigers stifle Iowa Central behind Ryosuke's two goals

Fort Dodge, IA—Kino Ryosuke (Hyogo, Japan/Takigawadaini) continued to score at will as the freshman tallied both goals for the No. 13 Marshalltown Community College Men's Soccer team as the Tigers dropped Iowa Central Community College 2-1 on the road Wednesday.

Ryosuke posted a goal in each half, including the game-winner in the 71^st minute while the Tiger defense kept the Tritons scoreless for the final 80 minutes of play. Sophomore goalkeeper Rafael Pereira (Lisbon, Portugal/Escola Secundaria Vergilio Ferreira), who was named this week's NJCAA Division I Goalie of the Week, stopped six shots to earn the win in net.

RAFAEL PEREIRA NAMED NJCAA DIVISION I GOALIE OF THE WEEK

Ryosuke has posted at least two points in all seven matches this year for the Tigers (6-1-0/5-1-0). The freshman now has three games with at least two goals, including the last two matches. Ryosuke, this week's ICCAC Men's Soccer Player of the Week, leads the nation with 26 points and 10 goals on the year.

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The Tigers have now won their last four matches against Iowa Central (3-4-0/2-4-0).

Ryosuke wasted little time announcing his presence to the Tritons. The freshman threatened with an early scoring chance, but found the back of the net in the 6^th minute after rebounding his own shot for the early lead. Despite the early attack, Iowa Central answered back with a goal in the 10^th minute.

Pereira and the Tiger defense were tested often in the first half as the keeper stopped five shots in the first 45 minutes, including a pair of diving saves to keep the Tritons from taking the lead.

A physical contest ensued throughout the second half, but it was Ryosuke once again who put the Tigers on top, this time for good. The freshman received a pass from Artur Aguiar (Fortalez, Brazil/7 de Setembro) in the box and chipped a shot over the outstretched arms of the sliding Iowa Central goalkeeper.

The swift playmaking of the MCC midfield, combined with the strength of the back line defense, kept the Iowa Central scoring chances to a minimum the rest of the way as MCC picked up the conference victory.

MCC head coach Rafael Martinez commended his team for outplaying a tough Iowa Central team on Wednesday. "I'm very happy with the end result, but more importantly, I'm pleased with how we played the full 90 minutes and how we competed with a very good, very strong team in Iowa Central," Martinez stated. "They make the game very difficult because they are  a compact, physical team. They defend well and follow their game plan well. I thought we did a very good job of adjusting to those conditions while still being able to play our game."

'I'm very hery happy with the performance and how we fought and how we worked together as a team in moments that were very difficult because of the quality of Iowa Central," Martinez added. "We did a good job of sticking to our game plan. The guys that came from the bench came with great intensity and changed the game for us."

Ryosuke, who has posted 12 points in his last three games, received praise from his coach regarding his effort throughout the early stages of the season.

"Kino did a very good job taking advantage of his teammates and the work the whole team put in today. I'm proud of the way he is playing, but even more so the work that he has put in."

The Tigers face their biggest challenge of the season on Saturday afternoon when No. 3 and undefeated Iowa Western Community College comes to MCC at 2:00 PM for an ICCAC matchup. The two teams played a total 323:00 scoreless minutes in 2015 before the Reivers eliminated MCC in the Region XI Championship.

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