NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Carlos Rodriguez picked up his first career hat trick with three goals in the first half to help lift the No. 2 Monroe College men’s soccer team to a 10-1 victory in its home opener at City Park against Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) Saturday evening.
Rodriguez led an eight-goal first half for the Mustangs with his three scores. Gabriel Machado and Lucas Nishioka each totaled four points on the evening with a goal and two assists apiece.
The Mustangs caught fire right from the start, as Carlos Rodriguez bent one past the keeper from the top of the box just 34 seconds into the game to make it a 1-0 lead for Monroe. Rodriguez tallied another in the eighth minute, doubling the Mustang lead. Two minutes later, Pablo Pertusa fired in a rebound after a corner kick, pushing Monroe’s lead to three scores.
At the 13:06 mark, Nishioka netted his third of the season off an assist from Machado to make it a 4-0 game. Machado scored one of his own in the 22nd after Nishioka returned the favor, pushing Monroe’s lead to five. CCRI got one back when Jason Lopes Di Pina scored after a pass combination in the box, but Rodriguez followed shortly after with his third of the evening to make it a 6-1 game. Just a minute later, CCRI deflected the ball into its own net for an own goal, pushing the Mustang lead to six. Felipe Mendes closed out the half with a 44th-minute goal off a feed from Javier Rodriguez, sending the game to the half with an 8-1 score in favor of the Mustangs.
The second half was scoreless for more than 30 minutes before Christian Rodriguez got on the board, pushing Monroe’s lead to 9-1 in the 77th minute. Matis Castillon then added one more with 43 seconds remaining in the game to close out a 10-1 victory.
Goalkeeper David de la Hera needed just one save to improve to 2-0 on the season with the win on Saturday. CCRI netminder Jason Lopez Duarte falls to 0-1 to start the season.
The Mustangs play next on Monday, Sept. 4, in a Labor Day matinee at City Part against Rowan College at Burlington County. The game is set to begin at 11 a.m.
