Des Moines, IA— With a region championship in sight, the No. 14 Marshalltown Community College men's soccer team suffered heartbreak to the hands of Iowa Western Community College for the second consecutive year, falling in the NJCAA Region XI final 1-0 on Sunday evening. MCC finishes the year 15-4-1.
The second-seeded Tigers looked to put the 2015 regional final double overtime loss to Iowa Western behind them and create their own path in 2016. MCC had flashes of scoring threats, but ultimately it was Iowa Western, the top overall seed in the tournament that struck on a free kick goal in the 82nd minute. A last-ditch effort by the Tigers in the closing seconds proved to be too little as the Reivers captured their fourth consecutive Region XI title.
MCC head coach Rafael Martinez expressed his thoughts regarding the competitiveness and commitment from his program. "I'm very proud of everything that we have done this year. Certainly our goal was to win the region because we thought that we worked hard enough throughout the season, but I don't take for granted what our team did this year, especially our sophomores.
"This group of sophomores had the opportunity to go elsewhere and move on after last season, but they wanted to be champions with Marshalltown because they have immense pride in MCC. I'm sorry that that didn't happen, because they deserved it, but I know that with their personalities they will be successful both in soccer and in life."
Following the match, two of those sophomores, as well as a freshman, earned All-Tournament team accolades. Sophomores Artur Aguiar (Fortaleza, Brazil/7 de Setembro) and Miguel Jareno (Ubeda, Spain/I.E.S. Lopez-Neyra), along with freshman Kino Ryosuke (Hyogo, Japan/Takigawadaini) were named to the postseason team. Aguiar was also named the Defensive Player of the Tournament.
Fellow sophomore Rafael Pereira (Lisbon, Portugal/Escola Secundaria Vergilio Ferreira) was tested often in net for the Tigers. Pereira stopped seven shots in the loss, including four in the final half. The sophomore wraps up his stellar two-year career at MCC with 33 career wins, 10 shutouts, and a 0.52 goals against average, the third-best mark in program history.
Both sides displayed their defensive skill set early on in the match. David Kromah (Brooklyn Park, MN/Prairie Seeds) got the Tigers' first shot in the 12th minute, an attempt that sailed over the cross bar. Kromah proved to be a threat to the Reivers over the course of the first half, fighting his way into the offensive zone.
The Reivers appeared to have the game's first goal in the 24th minute on a free kick but were whistled for offside. Jose Moreno (Cordoba, Spain/I.E.S. Blas Infante) added another scoring chance late in the first half but failed to break free as the match went scoreless through the first 45 minutes.
As the sun began to set in the second half, both sides upped their efforts on both sides of the ball. Eneko Lasheras (Tudela, Spain/Benjamin de Tudela) fired a strike in the 79th minute that was stopped by the Reiver keeper.
Iowa Western was the team to get on the board first as Gabriel Viola bent a shot in the far corner at the 81:52 mark from 25 yards out. MCC crowded the Reiver box in the closing minute on a free kick but were unable to net the equalizer as the 2016 season came to a close.
Eight of the last nine matchups between the two teams have been decided by one goal or less.
The 33 wins for the sophomore class is the second-most in a two-year stretch in program history. The Tigers won 35 games from 2006-2007.
Iowa Western advances to the Great Lakes District Tournament on Nov. 5 against Waubonsee Community College for a chance to go to the NJCAA national tournament in Tyler, Texas on Nov. 14.
