Monmouth Advances to the Second Round of the NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championship
Monmouth University – 2 | Bowling Green – 1
2020-21 NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championship – First Round
Bryan Park | Greensboro, NC
Monmouth University (6-2-1, 2-2-1 MAAC) defeated Bowling Green State University (7-5-1, 5-2-1 MAC) 2-1. This is the Hawks’ first NCAA victory, they advanced twice on penalty kicks in 2009 and 2011. The Hawks were outshot 7-2 in the first half and found themselves down 0-1 at the half after Bowling Green found the back of the net in the 43rd minute. It would be the second half where the Hawks would shine as they outshot the Falcons 8-6 and tallied two goals to advance to the second round the of NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championship. Monmouth will face the second seed Pittsburgh on Sunday, May 2 at 8:00 p.m.
After being selected to finish eighth in the 2020-21 MAAC Men’s Soccer Preseason Coaches’ Poll, the Hawks defied the odds and defeated the No. 1, 2, and 3 seeds to win the 2020-21 MAAC Men’s Soccer Championship. This is Monmouth’s fifth straight victory and since falling behind 1-3 in the final regular season game they have outscored opponents 10-2. The Hawks completed the victory without their head coach Rob McCourt, who did not travel with the team due to COVID-19 protocols.
Monmouth Notes
- This was Monmouth’s eighth appearance in the NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championship and they earned their first victory and move to 1-5-2 all-time.
- The MAAC Men’s Soccer Championship MVP Julian Gomez scored the equalizer in the second half. Gomez has now scored in six consecutive games.
- MAAC Co-Goalkeeper of the Year Sean Murray made six saves after facing 13 shots. Murray made three saves in the final minute to preserve the win.
- Midfielder Jonas Lindner found the back of the net for the first time this season, at the most important time for the Hawks, as he tallied the game-winning goal in the 82nd minute.
- All-MAAC First Team Attacker Ben Zakowski assisted on both of Monmouth’s goals. Zakowski now has six assists in nine games this season.
- Coming off the bench Sebastian Rodriguez led the Hawks with three shots. Gomez, Linder, and Liam McGregor all finished with two shots.
- The Hawks finished the game with three corner kicks to Bowling Green’s eight.
Keep up with all MAAC soccer action by following @MAACSports on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and by searching #MAACSoccer. For more information on the NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Tournament visit NCAA.com.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) celebrates its 40
th year of competition during the 2020-21 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.