Friday night the MCC Tigers traveled up to Rosemount Minnesota to take on the Blue Knights of Dakota County Technical College. On a cold, wet, rainy night, the Tigers were able to effectively move the ball and score. The Tigers came out slow in the first half, having a hard time controlling possession but soon found their rhythm.
"We were able to dominate possession in the second half but it was unfortunate how we finished in front of the goal in the beginning of the game." Stated coach Fuchsen after the game. "With the weather it made the ball unpredictable at times but we adjusted and we played our game, we didn't panic and eventually the goals came."
The goals did come but only after a 0-0 first half. A noticeably different Tiger team came out in the second half as they moved the ball effortlessly down the field in the first few minutes. The Tiger bench erupted after David Kromah found the net just four minutes into the second half. Once the Tigers got on the board, they would not let up. Eneko Lasheras found the goal twice in the following minutes, with one coming from a corner kick he curved directly into the upper corner of the net.
Lasheras stated, "We weren't able to finish in the first half but we did a lot of good things, in the second half we moved the ball better and the difference was that we were able to finish."
Kino Ryosuke followed adding his 18th goal of the season with an assist from Joal Valderas in the 65th minute. In the closing minutes, Bruno Osorio was able to extend the Tiger lead to 6-0 after scoring two goals.
When asked about being 9-1 on the season, Eneko Lasheras stated, "I think we have done a great job in the first half of the season but now we have the hard part. We still have to play Indian Hills and Iowa Western and we are motivated and ready for the challenge. I don't see ourselves and underdogs in these matchups and I think we can win this conference and move on."
This season, the Tigers have shown the ability to respond under pressure. This team continues to show the ability to get out of tough situations and overcome adversity. With the toughest games still to come, They will surly be tested. With confidence high, the #13 Tigers (9-1) may be the team to watch in this very competitive conference. Their toughest test of the season will come Wednesday when the Tiger host the Warriors of Indian Hills. The 11-1 Warriors are currently ranked 6th in the latest NJCAA rankings. The Indian Hills team is led by sophomore, Akean Shackleford, who currently leads the conference in goals and shots this season. The ranked matchup will start at 4:00 on the Marshalltown Community College campus.
The Tigers will be back in action Sunday afternoon when they travel to White Bear Lake Minnesota to take on Century College at 12:00.
