Final four teams set to play for national title at EFSC
The final four teams are set to take the field for the NJCAA Division I Men’s Soccer National Championship Tournament semifinals Thursday evening at Orlando Health Stadium on the Melbourne campus of Eastern Florida State College.
The doubleheader will begin with No. 8 seed Cowley College playing No. 3 seed Monroe College at 5 p.m.
Monroe College advanced to the semifinals with a couple of close matches. Monroe edged Angelina College in penalty kicks after 110 minutes of scoreless soccer and then defeated Jefferson College 3-2 to advance.
“It is just battle, battle, battle. All of the teams are good so we will go out and give it a shot and see what happens,” Monroe men’s soccer coach Marcus DiBernardo said. “Flip a coin in the final four. That is my opinion, you need a little luck to win a tournament like this because every team is really good.”
Cowley College has scored eight goals in two game to advance in Pool A after defeating No. 1 seed Daytona State College 5-1. The Tigers are led by Caique Trivelato who has scored a tournament-high five goals.
It is Cowley’s first national semifinal appearance while Monroe College is in the semifinal for the first time since 2019, when the Mustangs won their first NJCAA Division I title.
The second game of the evening will begin at 7:30 p.m. and will be between No. 4 seed Salt Lake Community College and No. 7 Arizona Western.
The matchup will be a rematch of last season’s semifinal which Arizona Western won 2-0.
Salt Lake Community College defeated Eastern Oklahoma State 2-1 and then topped defending national champion Iowa Western 2-0 to win Pool D. Ty Sanchez scored both goals in the game and has three goals in the tournament.
“They are a great team, I am looking forward to playing them, it is going to be another dogfight and I am excited to get back to work,” Salt Lake Community College men’s soccer coach Mark Davis said.
Arizona Western defeated No. 2 seed Tyler Junior College 2-1 in overtime to win Pool B as Luis Ortner scored in overtime to send Arizona Western to the semifinals for the second straight season. The Matadors lost in the championship game last season and are looking to get back again this season.
Salt Lake Community College won the title in 2020-21 and made it to the semifinals last season.
Tickets can be purchased online for $20 at https://easternflorida.nbsstore.net/njcaa-mens-soccer-championship-daily-admission or watch it online at https://www.njcaa.org/network/landing/index for $10.