NEW ROCHELLE, NY — There was plenty of scoring to go around on Monday, as five different members of the No. 2 Monroe College men’s soccer team scored in the Mustangs’ 5-0 victory over Rowan College at Burlington County (RCBC) at City Park. The Mustangs jump to 4-0 with their first shutout of the season, while the Barons drop to 1-1.
Monroe got off to another quick start in Monday’s matinee. In just the third minute, Javier Rodriguez manage to take one away from the keeper in the box, and fired right past him in to the back of the net to give the Mustangs an early 1-0 advantage. That was it for the scoring in the first half, as the Mustangs took a one-goal lead into the break.
The offense started buzzing early in the second half, starting with a 45th minute goal by Gabriel Machado to give Monroe a two-goal edge. Three minutes later, Machado set up Carlos Rodriguez to make it a 3-0 game. At the 56:07 mark, Abdul Mohammed chipped one past the keeper off a pass from Machado to put the Mustangs on top, 4-0. Diego Candido added one more in the 85th minute off a feed from Cristian Valencia to push the Mustang lead out to five goals.
Goalkeeper Svyat Kozak improved to 2-0 and picked up his first shutout of the season after stopping two shots in the win. RCBC keeper Constantinos Gromitsaris dropped to 1-1 after yielding five goals and making a pair of saves.
Javier Rodriguez, Machado, Carlos Rodriguez, Mohammed and Candido compiled the goals for the Mustangs on Monday. Machado completed a four-point afternoon with a pair of assists, while Mohammed and Valencia handed out an assist apiece. The Mustangs outshot the Barons, 21-6, while putting seven shots on goal to just two for the visitors.
The No. 2-ranked Mustangs get back to work on Thursday, Sept. 7, when they take on No. 11 Eastern Florida State College at City Park. Thursday’s matchup is set to kick off at 1 p.m.