October 23, 2024
Men's Soccer Advances to First Regional Final in Program History
By Logan Weingartner
CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. - The three-seeded Finger Lakes Community College men's soccer team opened up the postseason strongly, orchestrating a dominant 4-1 victory over the sixth-seeded Cannoneers of Jefferson Community College in an NJCAA Region III semifinal matchup at home. The match marked a monumental feat for the men's soccer program as they earned a trip to the Region III finals for the first time in program history.
The Lakers played an excellent first half both offensively and defensively. Ben Domann (Wuppertal, Germany/Gesamtschule Barmen) opened the scoring with a goal at the 26' mark, and the assist came from Robin Giesing (Essen, Germany/Gymnasium-Essen-Werden). Giesing would then find himself flipping roles just 6 minutes later, as he scored off a feed from Joao Antonio Rocha (Sergipe, Brazil/Colegio Master). The Lakers would then add another one on the right before half, as Rocha knocked one through on a delivery from Carl Pontin (Sunshine Coast, Australia/Mountain Creek State). The strike, which came at the 41' mark, gave the Lakers a comfortable three-goal advantage heading into the break.
The Lakers quickly opened things back up in the second half, with Robin Giesing netting his second goal of the match at the 39' mark to secure the brace. The goal was assisted by Joao Antonio Rocha, who ended the regular season leading all of NJCAA D III in assists. The Lakers were able to keep the opposition at bay for the rest of the second half, with contributions from defenders Oriol Guzman (Barcelona, Spain/Institut Marti Pous), Allan Matheus (Sergipe, Brazil/Americano Batista), Owen Schuessler (Canandaigua, N.Y./Canandaigua) and Sergio Baron (Bogota, Colombia/Liceo Matovelle) playing a pivotal role in the victory. Aiden Nelson (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport) didn't let the playoff pressure get to him, as the first-year keeper played the full 90' in the net and delivered an excellent performance, making 5 saves in the match.
The Lakers move on to the NJCAA North District B Final, where they will face off against the two-seeded Generals of Herkimer College on Sunday, October 27th at Herkimer College at 1 PM.