UNIONDALE, N.Y. – The fifth-seeded Monroe University – Bronx men's soccer team earned a victory in the Region 15 Quarterfinals over nationally ranked No. 10 and fourth-seeded Nassau Community College, 2-0, at Mitchel Athletic Complex on Saturday evening.

Monroe (9-4-2) now earns the right to face top-seeded and nationally ranked No. 9 Suffolk County Community College in the Region 15 Semifinals on Wednesday afternoon. The contest will take place at Ammerman Campus Soccer Field, and the time will be announced soon.

"I'm very happy for the victory," Express Head Coach Jose Hernandez said. "It was an incredible match and an incredible day. "I want to thank my coaching staff and I want to thank my players because they have all been working hard and they produced a great effort."

Kimany Arzu stopped all five shots he faced to earn the shutout win for the Express.

Just under four minutes into the contest, Nassau (10-3-0) had a golden opportunity to grab the lead but Alexis Gomez's point-blank shot hit off the crossbar and was then cleared out by the Express' defense. 

Monroe capitalized on its opportunity in the 12^th minute as Jonathan Lima gathered the ball off a deflection and launched it over the goalkeeper's head and into the back of the net, from 25 yards out, to give Monroe the early 1-0 benefit. 

The Express extended their lead to two in the 40^th minute as Jason Chunchi collected the ball during a scramble inside the box off a corner kick and he rifled the ball into the back of the cage with 5:33 left in the opening half. Alejandro Aguilar provided the corner kick on the scoring play and was credited with the assist.  

Nassau, who entered tonight as the defending Region 15 Champions, had plenty of chances in the first half to get on the scoreboard. Gomez rifled a shot with 27 minutes left but was denied by Arzu. The Express kept the Lions scoreless in the 39^th minute when Juan Sanchez De Los Santos teed off a shot that was fought off by Arzu. 

Both teams went into the half with the score 2-0 in favor of Monroe. 

The Lions provided pressure in the Express' defensive end throughout the second half, but their shots were either off target, stopped by Arzu, or kept getting blocked by the Blue and Gold's strong defense. 

"We had great support from our bench, every player, and all our coaches," Express midfielder Juan Ramirez said. "We have come a long way."

The clock eventually ticked down to zero and Monroe earned its first berth in the regional semifinals since the 2021 fall season.

"This win gives us a lot of confidence and energy to go into the semifinals and play as hard as we can," Chunchi said. "It feels good to beat a nationally ranked team."

For the match, Nassau had the advantage in shots, 16-9, but Monroe had the edge in shots on goal, 6-5.

"We really hope we can win the championship and compete in nationals," Express defender Brian Jacinto said.

For more information regarding Monroe - Bronx's Region 15 Semifinal match at No. 9 Suffolk County, check out www.MonroeExpress.com as well as our social media channels. 

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).