Men's Soccer

Championship Saturday: Men's & Women's Soccer Final Previews

FLUSHING, N.Y. (Nov. 7, 2019) - The 2019 CUNY Athletic Conference/University Student Senate Men’s and Women’s Soccer Championships is on pace for a fantastic finish on Saturday. Both championship games will take place at Brooklyn College with the women’s game to kick-off and 2 p.m. followed by the men’s final at 4:30 p.m. The two tilts will be broadcast live on CUNYAC’s Facebook page, and both champions will earn automatic bids to next week’s NCAA Division III Championships. 

WOMEN’S PREVIEW • #1 John Jay vs. #3 CCNY • 2 p.m.
On the women’s side, the No. 1 seed John Jay Bloodhounds (11-6-1, 5-0 CUNY) will face the visiting No. 3 seed City College of New York Beavers (7-8, 3-2 CUNY). 

The Bloodhounds hope to keep their momentum going, after shutting out Brooklyn 8-0 in the semifinal last week and aim to complete their perfect season in CUNYAC play, and get over their championship hump. Now in their tenth season in, the Bloodhounds are seeking the school’s first-ever championship title. Sixth-year head coach Casey Sommers and her squad reached the final last year, but fell to the College of Staten Island 6-2. 

“We are excited to be back in the CUNYAC championship game this year,” coach Sommers said. “With so many of our players returning from last season, we have a more mature and experienced group who are ready to continue a strong postseason run.”
That experience starts with sophmore and 2019 CUNYAC Women’s Soccer Player of the Year Katie Healy, who tallied her league-leading ninth assist in John Jay’s semifinal win. Furthermore, the midfielder is second in goals (15) and points (39). The Bloodhounds will also feature 2019 CUNYAC All-Stars Kimberly Rolbledo, who recorded a hat trick, and Jillian Golden, who had three assists in their victory over the weekend.

CCNY comes in to the final also looking for a title after a long absence. For the Beavers, this will be the first time they’ve reached the championship game since winning it all in 2012. 

“It’s been a long time coming,” CCNY Head Coach Louis Manoussos said. “But we’re very excited for the opportunity to play in the final.”

CUNYAC All-Star Gabrielle Duchaussee looks to end that drought in her final year at CCNY. The senior has been one of the great players in the conference for a few years, this season as the leader in points (49), goals (22), and game-winning goals (3). 
The Beavers will also lean on freshman Cassidy Canberg, who is fifth in points with 24, thanks to her breakout game against Lehman in the semifinal, where she nailed two goals to lead her team to a 3-1 victory.

“This season, we had peaks and valleys, but we knew our ultimate goal was to get to the final and give ourselves an opportunity to win it,” coach Manoussos said. “I can’t say enough about our effort, our love for the game, and our commitment. We never gave up.”
In the lone matchup between the two teams, John Jay won 3-0 behind goals from Healy, Golden and fellow all-star Medina Mulic. 

MEN’S PREVIEW • #2 Hunter vs. #5 John Jay • 4:30 p.m.
On the men’s side, the upstart John Jay Bloodhounds (6-10-1. 3-4) will also go for the crown as they will meet second-seeded Hunter Hawks (8-7-1, 6-1 CUNY).

The Hawks enter the championship game as winners of six straight, after shutting out defending champion Baruch 2-0, in the semifinals. HC is led by senior Jesus Patino Muniz, the 2019 CUNYAC Player of the Year, and sophomore Blaise Enama. Muniz is first in CUNYAC in points (27), assists (7), and game-winning goals (4). As for Enama, he now leads the league in goals with 11 after scoring a goal against Baruch.
“We are really looking forward to playing in this game, this has been a goal of ours all year long, Hawks’ head coach John Sanchez said. “We know that John Jay will be a great opponent and the setting should be cold, but spectacular.” Hunter is seeking the school’s first title since 2010.

John Jay will be returning to the championship pitch for the second time in the last three seasons, but like their women’s team, the Bloodhounds are seeking the school’s first-ever top prize.

JJC has allowed 26 goals, which is the second lowest amongst all teams, and showed their ability to slow down opposing teams on Saturday, with a dramatic upset over top-seeded Lehman. After allowing a goal in the 33rd minute of the game, the John Jay defense kept the Lightning off the board for the remainder of regulation and overtime, winning it 4-3 in penalty kicks on goalie Steven Towler’s final PK. The Bloodhounds are led this season by defender Michael DeMarco and Towler, both all-stars in 2019. 

“The fact that this is the second final in three years speaks a lot of the growth of the program,” John Jay head coach Ridi Dauti said. “We always believed in our strength and our capability to win big games and that is exactly what we did during playoffs. Now we have to focus on pulling one more upset this coming Saturday against Hunter.”

Three players are tied atop John Jay’s scoring lead, Dilshod Baymatov, Andrew DeCanio and Mark Shnadshteyn, each with 15 points. In the only matchup between the two teams this year, Muniz scored the only goal of the game to lead the Hawks to a 1-0 shutout win.

Championships • Saturday, Nov. 9
at Brooklyn College
Tickets for all three contests are free and available at cunyathletics.com/tickets.
* Both Finals will be broadcast on Facebook Live here!

Women's Final • 2:00 p.m.
No. 1 John Jay vs. No. 3 CCNY  - Live Stats

Men's Final • 4:30 p.m.
No. 2 Hunter vs. No. 4 John Jay - Live Stats