HERKIMER, NY – Iyad Lablack's second goal of the 2017 NJCAA DIII Men's Soccer tournament proved to be the most important score of the season for the freshman as Genesee (NY) captured the program's first-ever men's soccer championship with a 2-1 win over defending champions Richland (TX). The Cougar defense held Richland scoreless for the final 80:16 to take home the title.
Richland struck first with a goal in the 10th minute as James Sasay took advantage of a costly Cougar mistake. Genesee turned to its leading scorer on the year, Charlie Livesey who finished a Billy Murphy pass in the 24th minute to even up the score. The match entered the second half tied at one before Lablack buried a one-touch volley in the 52nd minute to put Genesee on top for the first time. The Cougar defense prevailed the rest of the way behind tournament MVP David Ormiston who stopped four shots in net for the newly crowned champions.
- The championship is the first soccer title for Genesee, and third overall championship in program history.
- After losing two of the team's first three games of the season, Genesee went 19-0-1 over the final two months to finish the season at 20-2-1.
- Ormiston played all 270 minutes in net and stopped nine shots throughout the tournament
- Glenn Holmes and Phillip Melo represented Genesee on the All-Tournament team
- Richland, one year removed from a national title, made their 10th appearance in the title game since 2002
- The Thunderducks placed two players on the All-Tournament team- Mateo Gutierrez and Sasay
- This is the seventh time in the last eight seasons a team from New York has won the DIII title.
- Herkimer (NY) placed two players on the All-Tournament team- Luke Murphy and Gus Ward
- Camden County (NJ) also added two members on the All-Tournament team- Leonardo Lima and Ishmael Boakai
