THROGGS NECK, N.Y., May 23, 2021 – History was made for the Monroe College Express on Sunday, as the No. 9-ranked Express men's soccer team captured the first-ever Region 15 Championship in the Monroe Express' four-year existence, defeating No. 7 Suffolk County Community College by a score of 3-1 at the SUNY Maritime Soccer Field. The Express will now represent Region 15 at the 2020-21 NJCAA Div. III Men's Soccer Championship Tournament in the program's first-ever national tournament appearance.
 
The Express jumped out to an early lead in Sunday's championship game. In the 10th minute, Egady Torres sent a corner kick from the right wing directly to the front of the net. The goalkeeper got a piece of it, but it landed right in front of Nawaine Brown, who tapped it into the net to give the Express a 1-0 advantage.
 
Monroe doubled its lead in the 38th minute of the first half. Gorge Salazar played the ball up from midfield and lofted it over the defense, finding Kymron Ashley one-on-one with the keeper, who he tapped it over and into the net to make it a 2-0 game late in the half.
 
With just under three minutes remaining in the half, Suffolk's Jake DePaoli squeezed a cross between defenders and right to Liam Berlingieri, who was able to get it past Jose Hernandez to the right corner of the net to cut the Sharks on the board and make it a 2-1 game heading into halftime.
 
It was quiet for more than 25 minutes in the second half, but the Express extended their lead in the 72nd minute. Monroe played the ball up from its own end of the field, and Andres Lora found Jean Woobens Zamy one-on-one with a defender. After deking in and out, he got past the defense and was able to beat the keeper to the right of the net for the goal to make it a 3-1 lead in favor of the Express, which proved to be the final score of the game.
Express goalkeeper Jose Hernandez stopped eight shots and allowed just one goal to pick up the win and improve to 4-2 overall on the season. Jay Scolaro allowed three goals and made three stops to take the loss for Suffolk.
 
Ashley's goal that put the Express up 2-0 in the first half proved to be the game-winner on Sunday. Brown and Zamy provided the other two Express goals. Torres, Salazar and Lora each provided an assist in the championship victory.
 
The Express were outshot by the Sharks, 14-11, in Sunday's game, while the Sharks also had the edge in corner kicks, 10-3, but the Express defense locked down when it needed to, keeping the Sharks to just the one score in the win.
 
The Express are now set to compete in the NJCAA Div. III Men's Soccer Championship for the first time. The tournament will be hosted at Wehrum Stadium in Herkimer, N.Y. from June 2-5. The tournament will consist of five District Champions (Monroe will represent the North Atlantic District), and three at-large bids for a total of eight competing teams.

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).