Needing a win to punch its ticket to the national championship game, the Central Maine Community College men’s soccer team ran into eventual national champion Johnson & Wales-Charlotte to close out pool play Sunday in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association Division II national tournament in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania.
The Mustangs, seeded fourth, were coming off a 2-0 win over Five Towns College on Saturday when they faced top-seeded JWU-Charlotte to close out Pool A play. The Wildcats, who opened Pool A play with a 3-1 win over Five Towns on Friday, broke open Sunday’s game in the second half to coast to a 4-0 win.
That signaled the end of the season for the Mustangs, who finished with a 13-3-1 record.
Arnaud Nyagasaza got the start in goal against the Wildcats and made two saves in 78-plus minutes of work before Poland Regional High School grad Davin Cloutier came off the bench and made a save of his own to close out the game. Former Lewiston High School standout Igor Domingues was one of four Mustangs to record a single shot on goal, along with Celda Mouckala, Ordi Bimvy and Jeremiah Gomez.
Johnson & Wales-Charlotte won the Division II national championship Monday over Berkeley College. The game was tied 0-0 after regulation and overtime, with the Wildcats winning on penalty kicks, 4-3.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
CMCC’S WIN NOT ENOUGH: A season-ending victory wasn’t the one the CMCC women’s team was hoping for. The Mustangs closed out their Pool A play Saturday night with a 5-0 win over Penn State Mont Alto, but University of Cincinnati-Clermont took the top spot in the pool with a 4-0 victory of its own over PSU Mont Alto on Sunday. That sent the Cougars to the Division II national championship game — which Cincinnati-Clermont won Monday — and sent the Mustangs home.
The Mustangs end their season with a 12-5-1 record. Natalie Tracy extended her program single-season scoring record to 26 goals with CMCC’s lone goal in Friday’s 3-1 loss to Cincinnati-Clermont and three goals for a hat trick in the win over PSU Mont Alto.
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