November 22, 2014

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MELBOURNE, Fla. – With just over four minutes remaining in the second overtime of the NJCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship Match, Monroe College (N.Y.) sophomore forward Carol Rodrigues capitalized on a penalty kick to knock off Iowa Western, 2-1.

In the 106th minute, Monroe drove a long pass towards the net from midfield. Mustangs freshman forward Gabriella Braga got behind the defense with an angle on the ball. Iowa Western freshman goalie Haley Johnson rushed towards the ball for a clearing attempt when she collided with the charging Braga, creating the penalty kick opportunity for Monroe.

On the attempt, Johnson leaned to her left and Rodrigues punched the shot into the bottom-right corner of the net for the game-winning, golden goal. The score clinched a victory over the defending national champions for the Mustangs’ first NJCAA women’s soccer national title.

Monroe’s come-from-behind victory was started by Rodrigues with an assist in the 70th minute. A corner kick by sophomore midfielder Samantha Mendez sent the ball screaming towards the back of the penalty area. Rodrigues flew towards the airborne target and connected for a shot towards the goal. Positioned in front of the keeper, sophomore midfielder Melanie Formosa stuck her foot out and deflected the ball into the net for the game-tying goal.

Iowa Western was the first to get on the board with a score in the first half. With a free kick in the 32nd minute, Reivers sophomore midfielder Nicole Gowans sent a precise pass on target for a streaking Celia Jimenez. The sophomore forward directed the ball past the Monroe goalie to give Iowa Western a 1-0 advantage.

Entering the tournament as the No. 2 seed, Monroe began their run to the title with two easy victories in pool play. The Mustangs shutout No. 11-seed Owens 4-0 in their opener and followed with a 4-1 victory over No. 7-seed Pima to advance out of the group. In the semifinals, Monroe battled No. 3-seed Eastern Florida State to a 0-0 tie on their home turf before advancing 4-2 in penalty kicks.

The victory in the championship improved the Mustangs’ record to 18-1-1 on the year. Monroe’s only loss came at the hands of Iowa Western in their second match of the season. Maintaining an undefeated record up to the finals, the Reivers ended their season with a 21-1-1 mark.


Photos courtesy of Michael Brown