Rocha Sets Season Assist Record as Lakers Dominate Hudson Valley 7-1

CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. - The Finger Lakes Community College men's soccer team extended their winning streak to three games with a commanding 7-1 victory over Hudson Valley Community College, improving to 7-3-3 on the season. The Lakers were relentless on offense, outshooting their opponent 19-3 to earn the victory. 

Ben Berger (Weil am Rhein, Germany/Kaufmannische Schule Lorrach) opened the scoring for the Lakers at the 9' mark, with an assist from Joao Antonio Rocha (Sergipe, Brazil/Colegio Master), who had a standout performance with five assists on the day. Just over a minute later, Ben Domann (Wuppertal, Germany/Gesamtschule Barmen) added another, again assisted by Rocha. The scoring spree continued with Gary Cooper (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Arcadia) netting the third goal of the half unassisted at the 21' mark. 

Hudson Valley responded with their only goal of the match, but the Lakers quickly regained control with another goal from Ben Domann, assisted by Rocha just before halftime, putting the score at 4-1. 

In the second half, Gary Cooper scored his second goal, again assisted by Rocha. At the 66' mark, Carlos Aguiar (Sergipe, Brazil/Colegio Master) added a goal with assists from Rocha and Owen Schuessler (Canandaigua, N.Y./Canandaigua Academy), and Daniel Ojedayo (Ibadan, Nigeria/Opicc) closed out the scoring in the 87' to secure the 7-1 victory. 

Defensively, Aiden Nelson (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport) was solid in goal, allowing just one goal while making two saves in the 90' of play. Sophomore Joao Antonio Rocha set a new program record for most assists in a season with his five-assist performance, surpassing the previous mark of 16 set by Eric Marsh in 1997, followed by Russell Domm in 2021. Rocha now boasts 21 assists with seven matches remaining in the regular season.