BRONX, N.Y., May 21, 2021 – The Monroe College Express men's soccer team has had plenty of success in the past, but the Express are now set for the biggest game in program history. This Sunday, May 23, the ninth-ranked Express host No. 7 Suffolk County Community College for the 2020-21 Region 15 Championship, with the Express looking to claim the title for the first time in the team's short history.
 
Championship Game Information:
Sunday's championship game will be hosted by the Express at the SUNY Maritime soccer field in Throggs Neck, N.Y. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. Due to the facility's protocols, spectators will not be permitted at SUNY Maritime on Sunday. The game will be streamed live on the Monroe Mustangs YouTube Channel for all to watch at their convenience.
 
Coverage:
Live Stats: MonroeExpress.com/MSOCLiveStats
Live Video: YouTube.com/MonroeMustangs
 
How They Got Here:
Both teams experienced what can easily be described as an odd season. Not only was the regular season played in the spring, but it was an abbreviated campaign with limited travel as well.
 
The Express finished the season with a 3-2 record, including a 3-1 mark in Region 15 play. The Express' first loss of the season came against their New Rochelle counterparts, the Monroe Mustangs, which were the No. 1 ranked team at the NJCAA Division I level at the time.  They followed that with a pair of road victories over Nassau Community College. No. 5 Suffolk defeated the Express, 5-1, back on May 9 in Selden, N.Y., but the Express responded with a 1-0 shutout victory over the Sharks at home on May 14. That final win not only earned the Express their first-ever national ranking (No. 9), it also earned them the Region 15 Regular Season Title and the right to host the Region Championship game.
 
Suffolk got in a couple more contests than the Express, helping the Sharks earn their spot in the national rankings for much of the season. They opened the year with an 1-0 overtime victory over Nassau, followed by a 3-0 win over Union County College. They also faced the Mustangs back in April, suffering the same 7-0 fate as the Express. A 1-1 tie with Nassau proved to be the difference in the Region 15 standings this season. Suffolk beat Monroe Mustangs JV, 2-1, to close out May. A 5-1 win over the Express put the Sharks in the driver's seat until a 1-0 win for the Express over the Sharks gave the Express the top seed in the region.
 
Sunday's final will mark the rubber match between the Express and Sharks, with everything on the line. In the four-year history of this matchup, the Express are actually 3-2 overall against the Sharks, having won the first two matchups in 2017 and 2018 before losing the next two in 2019 and the first one of 2020-21. Last week's 1-0 victory for the Express gave them a 3-2 lead in the matchup history.

ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 36 teams competing across nine sports. There are 19 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's and women's rugby, the Monroe College marching band, and the newly added esports program, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has 17 teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level.
 
For more information about the Monroe Express, please visit us at www.MonroeExpress.com or follow us on social media: Facebook (Monroe Express), Twitter (@MonroeExpress) and Instagram (@MonroeExpress).