Nine members of the Marshalltown Community College men's soccer team have earned NJCAA All-Region XI honors, including four on the first-team. The Tigers finished the year with a 15-4-1 record and runners-up in the Region XI tournament.
Sophomore goalkeeper Rafael Pereira (Lisbon, Portugal/Escola Secundaria Vergilio) and sophomore defenders Fernando Gutierrez (Ibiza, Spain/I.E.S. Algarb) and Pedro Oliveira (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil/Colegio Estaudl) all earned first-team honors for the second consecutive year. Freshman forward Kino Ryosuke (Hyogo, Japan/Takigawadaini) also earned first-team recognition after leading the Tigers in scoring.
Sophomores Artur Aguiar (Fortaleza, Brazil/7 de Setembro) and Thiago Fernandes (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil/Colegio Dom Oton Mota) joined freshman Alieu Kamara (Brooklyn Park, MN/Prairie Seeds) on the second team. Sophomore Miguel Jareno (Ubeda, Spain/I.E.S. Lopez-Neyra) and freshman Roger De la Villa (Barcelona, Spain/Escola Sant Gregori) were named to the Honorable Mention squad.
Over the past two seasons, the Tigers have placed a total of 20 players on the All-Region XI teams.
Pereira, a NJCAA First-Team All-American in 2015, was named to the All-Region XI First-Team for the second straight year after leading the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) with 15 wins, 10 shutouts, and a 0.71 goals against average while playing the most minutes in the league. The sophomore's 10 shutouts ranked second in the nation while his total minutes and wins ranked fourth. Pereira closed out his career with 20 career shutouts and 33 wins while posting a remarkable 0.56 goals against average.
Pereira was voted by the coaches of the ICCAC as the best goalkeeper in the conference for the second-straight season.
Gutierrez, a NJCAA Second-Team All-American in 2015, anchored the Tiger defense for the second straight year. The sophomore appeared in all 20 games for the Tigers, scoring one goal and adding an assist. Gutierrez's defense posted a 0.69 goals against average on the year, the eighth best mark in the nation. Over the past two seasons, the Tigers have allowed just 24 goals in 41 matches, a goals against average of 0.58.
Another critical member to the Tiger defense, Oliveira was a force on the back line for the Tigers. The sophomore opened up the year with a goal in each of the first three games and finished the year with a total of 11 points while starting every contest. Oliveira controlled the middle of the field for the Tigers that led to the team's 11 shutouts on the season.
Ryosuke made a splash in his debut season for the Tigers, leading MCC with 18 goals, nine assists, and 45 points. All three marks ranked second in the ICCAC while the 18 goals and 45 points ranked inside the top 20 in the nation. Ryosuke is tied for fifth most in MCC history in both the single season goals and single season points totals. The freshman also tied for third in the nation with eight game-winning goals. Ryosuke was also named to the All-Tournament team.
On the second team, Aguiar was an integral part in the midfield throughout the year for the Tigers. The sophomore scored two goals and added four assists for a total of eight points in 19 games. Following the Region XI tournament, Aguiar was named to the All-Tournament team and the Defensive Player of the Tournament.
Fernandes, an All-Region XI Second-Team pick as a freshman in 2015, tied for third on the team with five goals and 13 points this year. The sophomore buried two-game winning goals for the Tigers on the year, including a pair of goals in a 2-0 victory at Scott Community College on Oct. 12
Kamara proved to be a central figure for the Tiger defense, appearing 17 games to help MCC achieve the second lowest goals against average in the ICCAC. Kamara totaled one goal and two assists on the year, including one of each in the team's 5-1 victory over Iowa Lakes Community College in the Region XI semifinal round.
Jareno battled through injuries early on in his sophomore to step up and contribute to the Tiger defense. Jareno appeared in 12 games on the year and scored his first-career goal in the semifinal win over Iowa Lakes. The sophomore was also named to the All-Tournament team following the Tigers' postseason run.
De la Villa rounded out the postseason honors for the Tigers after a solid freshman campaign. De la Villa tied for third-most points on the team with 13, scoring five goals and adding an assist. The freshman scored the lone goal in a 1-0 victory at Hawkeye Community College on Oct. 18.
