NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – The Monroe University – Bronx men's soccer team battled the first-place team in the region and nationally ranked No. 7 Westchester Community College to a 2-2 tie at Flowers Park on Thursday afternoon. Each team earned a point in the Region 15 standings. 

The Express (6-2-1, 6-1-1 Region 15) built a 2-0 advantage but the Vikings (5-1-2, 5-0-2 Region 15) scored two goals with under four minutes remaining in the match, including the game-tying goal by Joshua Bustos with one second left on the clock. 

It was still an encouraging performance by Monroe as they pushed a top-10 team to the limit and was just one second away from knocking them off.

"Proud of my guys!" Express Head Coach Jose Hernandez said. "Definitely deserved better. We'll continue working hard and learning from our mistakes to achieve the team's objective!"

Monroe – Bronx outshot Westchester, 21-12, during the day and had the advantage in shots on target, 8-6.

Both teams exchanged quality chances on the attack throughout the opening half. Monroe cashed in with less than six minutes left before the break as Jason Chunchi recovered a loose ball in the right side of the box and rifled it into the back of the net to give the Blue and Gold a 1-0 lead. That was the score after 45 minutes of play.

The Express padded their lead in the early stages of the second half as Brando Tuba received the ball off a deflection by Mamadou Top and drilled it into the back of the cage to extend the home team's lead to 2-0 with 35:39 left to play. Top and Chunchi were credited with assists on the goal. Chunchi's helper was his 10th of the season which sets a program single-season record. He breaks Chrismonor Eugene's ('24) record as he produced nine assists for the Express in 2024. 

Monroe had a few chances to extend its lead, including shots by Abdoulaye Sarr and Alejandro Aguilar that were denied by Westchester goalkeeper Miguel Leal Diaz. 

The Vikings turned on the attack and drew a foul inside the box with 3:28 to go. As a result, they earned a penalty kick which was taken by Kenny Mocha who took advantage by lining the ball past the diving try of Angel Grijalva to slice the Express' lead to one. 

Fast forward to the closing seconds of the contest. There was a scramble in Monroe's defensive zone. Mocha found Bustos who slipped the ball into the net at the very last second to even the match at two goals apiece. 

Monroe had one final kickoff opportunity but the last second ticked down and the battle of Region 15 heavyweights ended in a draw.

For Monroe, Grijalva made four saves. His counterpart, Diaz, stopped six shots.

The Express will battle NJCAA Division II Essex County College, a team that is currently receiving votes in the national poll, on Tuesday at Flowers Park. The contest will begin at 3 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).