LAKEWOOD, N.J. – The nationally ranked No. Monroe University – Bronx men's soccer team earned a hard-fought victory over Georgian Court University JV, 1-0, at Investors Bank Field on Wednesday afternoon.
 
The hero for the Express (6-1-0) was freshman forward Naim Bakere who took a feed from the right side of the box by classmate Juan Ramirez and drilled the ball into the back of the net off his left foot from center during the 64^th minute to give the Express a 1-0 lead. That ended up being the final score.
 
"I'm very proud of the guys," Express Men's Head Soccer Coach Jose Hernandez said. "We were able to keep possession of the ball and we created a lot of chances. I am very happy for Naim. We keep working together as a team."
 
For the afternoon, Georgian Court JV (5-2-0) had a slight edge in shots, 15-12, and had the advantage in shots on target, 8-6. However, the Express provided a lot of pressure on the attack and dominated in corner kicks, 8-2.
 
In the early stages of the match, Monroe – Bronx kept peppering the net with shots but could not push one in. In the 37^th minute, rookie midfielder Mike Suazo had a point-blank opportunity, but his shot was denied by freshman goalkeeper Justin Perrin. With less than two minutes remaining in the opening half, the Lions had an opportunity to take the lead but the shot by rookie Daniel Olatundun was blocked from behind. The match was scoreless at the half.
 
Georgian Court JV came out strong in the beginning of the second half, but Express freshman goalkeeper Raymond Romero stopped two shots within the first eight minutes of the period to keep the match scoreless. 
 
During the 64^th minute, Monroe finally broke through as Ramirez made a swift pass to Bakere who lined the ball past the diving goalkeeper and into the net to break a scoreless tie with 26:39 left to play. 
 
The Lions had multiple chances to tie it up during the remainder of the match but kept getting denied by freshman goalkeeper Dwayne Brown. The home team had one more chance to even up the match as they drew a foul with one second left to earn a free kick opportunity. However, the ball that was lined off the set piece landed in the diving arms of Brown just as the time expired, clinching the victory for the Express.
 
For Monroe, Brown, Romero, and sophomore goalkeeper Lincoln Henwood combined to earn a shared shutout in net. Brown earned the official victory as he stopped three shots. Romero made three saves of his own, while Henwood registered two saves.
 
For Georgian Court JV, Perrin tallied five saves.
 
Monroe – Bronx will compete for the third day in a row on Thursday against Rockland Community College in Region 15 play. The action at Flowers Park will begin at 3:00 p.m. 
 
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).