BRONX - The No. 6-seed Monroe College - Bronx men's soccer team will battle third-seeded, and nationally ranked No. 7 Ulster County Community College in the opening round of the Region 15 Tournament on Thursday, October 19. The match will take place on the campus of Bard College, in Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y., beginning at 2:00 p.m.

The Express (6-5-1, 6-5-1 Region 15) return to the regional playoffs for the first time since the fall of 2021. This year, the Blue and Gold started off 0-2 in the region but then went unbeaten in seven out of the remaining 10 matches to rally and capture the sixth and final playoff spot. Monroe clinched the regional postseason berth by defeating Dutchess Community College, 6-4, on October 17. It was an all or nothing match for the Express as they would have been eliminated from postseason contention if they lost the regular season finale contest to the Falcons. 

Ulster County (10-1-2, 9-1-2 Region 15) dominated the season to go from being unranked at the start of the year to a No. 7 national ranking.

These two teams met in the regular season back on October 8, with the Senators pulling out a 2-0 victory. 

Leading the way for the Express this season has been a pair of sophomore defenders. Lorenz Utz has tallied seven goals and four assists this year, while James Gallagher has found the back of the net six times and added seven assists in 2023.

For the Senators, rookie midfielder Imari Harris has scored 15 goals and added seven helpers so far this year. Freshman forward Ashaasea Sankofa has generated 14 goals and seven assists during the regular season. 

Monroe - Bronx is 2-1-1 all-time against Ulster County.

There will be no live coverage for the match so please check out MonroeExpress.com, as well as our social media channels, for updates and results.

ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 31 teams competing across nine sports. There are 21 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 and men's volleyball programs, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has seven 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/X (@MonroeExpress), Instagram (@MonroeExpress), and Threads (@MonroeExpress).