NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – The third-seeded and nationally ranked No. 10 Monroe University – Bronx men's soccer team had its incredible season end in the quarterfinal round of the Region 15 Tournament. The Express battled sixth-seeded Suffolk County Community College to a 0-0 tie. However, the Sharks earn a berth in the regional semifinal by outlasting the Express in penalty kicks, 4-1.
 
Monroe finishes the season with a 9-4-3 record. Suffolk County (7-3-5) will take on second-seeded Westchester Community College in the semifinal round of the Region 15 Postseason on Wednesday afternoon.
 
It was an evenly matched playoff contest as Monroe had the edge in shots, 18-17. However, Suffolk County earned the advantage in shots on target, 10-9. The Express took most of the corner kicks by a 9-6 margin.
 
Freshman goalkeeper Raymond Romero had a strong match for the Express, stopping all nine shots he faced to earn a shutout. Freshman defender Israel Ramirez came up big for Monroe during the early stages of the second half. Suffolk County's rookie Ronan Montana launched a shot that headed towards a wide-open net, but Ramirez blocked the ball with his chest to keep the match scoreless during the 50^th minute.
 
Neither team could score during the two regulation periods and the two overtime sessions, so it came down to penalty kicks. 
 
Freshman Tony Vigil, sophomore Victor Garcia, and rookie Luis Banegas each found the back of the net to put the Sharks up by three in the shootout session. After the Express could not capitalize on the first two attempts, freshman midfielder Xcaret Gonzalez capitalized on his penalty-kick opportunity to keep the Express alive. However, rookie Aidan Augeri lined the ball into the back of the cage to clinch a berth in the Region 15 Semifinal for the Sharks.
 
Freshman goalkeeper Kelin Santamaria notched a shutout by making nine saves for Suffolk County.
 
Both head-to-head matchups between the Express and the Sharks this season ended in ties.
 
The Monroe University – Bronx men's soccer team will return to the pitch in September of 2025. 
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE UNIVERSITY
The athletic program at Monroe University 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 University 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).