Notes, observations and other thoughts about men's soccer played at 32^nd and Central...

NJCAA Division II National Tournament at John Hunt Park and Joe Davis Stadium in Huntsville, Alabama
Pool C match
#10 Morton College (12-7-3) vs. #6 CCBC Essex (15-3-2)
Match time: 3 p.m. Monday, November 18^th
Broadcast: NJCAA Network ($12 day pass, $20 for tournament)
Morton College opened Pool C play yesterday against defending national champion Iowa Lakes and lost 2-0.

Iowa Lakes didn't waste much time getting on the scoreboard as Keiji Segiura struck 59 seconds into the match to put the Panthers down 1-0.

Haruya Higuchi added another goal for the Lakers at the 59^th minute.

How good was Morton College goalie Victor Salmeron? His 11 saves were two more than in Pellissippi State-Pima match combined and one more than in Heartland-Neosho and Mercer-Pima matches combined.

Iowa Lakes outshot Morton College (12-7-3) 22-4. Pierre Balderas, Alen Marin and Gerardo Villagomez got off shots on goals for the Panthers, who lost for only the second time since October 1^st. Felipe Almeida was credited with a shot for Morton College.

Top teams in each of the four pools advance to semifinals Thursday, November 21^st.

Pool A
#1 Pima (19-1-0)
#8 Mississippi Gulf Coast (12-2-5)
#12 Pellisippi State (11-2-2)

Pool B
#2 Neosho County (18-1-2)
#7 Pearl River (13-4-4)
#11 Heartland (9-7-4)

Pool D
#4 Phoenix (17-3-1)
#5 Northeast (18-1-2)
#9 Mercer County (18-2-1)

Here's link to complete bracket:
https://d2o2figo6ddd0g.cloudfront.net/z/5/htwd9atwe4kjzp/2024_DII_MSOC_Champ_-_Bracket_Seeded.pdf
 
All about CCBC Essex
2020-21 & 2021 NJCAA Division II national runners-up
Goals: 94 (tied 2^nd nationally)
Assists: 63 (tied 10^th nationally)
Points: 251 (4^th nationally)

Leading scorers
Bartu Yakkan – 22 goals, 6 assists, 50 points
Alexis Maldonado – 14 goals, 8 assists, 36 points
Aidan Hidassy – 12 goals, 1 assist, 25 points
Taichi Nogami – 4 goals, 12 assists, 20 points
Phillipe Oliveira – 6 goals, 7 assists, 19 points

Past history
2022 national semifinals – Morton College won 2-1 in 2 OTs.

All about Morton College
2022 NJCAA Division II national runners-up
Goals: 53 (21^st nationally)
Assists: 42 (tied 22^nd nationally)
Points: 148 (21^st nationally)

Leading scorers
Selmane Azibi – 26 points (11 goals, 4 assists, 4 game-winners)
Ricardo Cruz – 23 points (10 goals, 3 assists, 4 game-winners)
Sergio Orellana – 18 points (7 goals, 4 assists, 1 game-winner)
Winner Muya – 13 points (5 goals, 3 assists, 1 game-winner)

Morton College at NJCAA nationals
2015 – NJCAA Division I in Martinsville, VA
November 16 – Eastern Florida State L 5-1 (Pool play)
November 17 – Jefferson L 2-1 (Pool play)

2021 – NJCAA Division II in Wichita, KS
June 5 – Heartland L 1-0 (Pool play)
June 6 – Phoenix W 1-0 (Pool play)

2022 – NJCAA Division II in Tucson, AZ
November 14 – Southeastern W 2-1 (2 OT) (Pool play)
November 16 – Pima W 3-2 (Pool play)
November 18 – CCBC Essex W 2-1 (2 OT) (National semifinals)
November 19 – Prairie State L 1-0 (National championship)

2024 – NJCAA Division II in Huntsville, AL
November 17 – Iowa Lakes L 2-0
3 p.m. Monday, November 18 – CCBC Essex (Second meeting in program history, met in 2022 national semifinals two years to the day).

2024 record
12-7-3 overall
4-3-0 Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference
6-3-1 at home
5-3-2 on road
1-1-0 on neutral sites

Region IV run
Morton College 3 No. 11 Harper 1 (first round)
Morton College 2 No. 3 Rock Valley 2 (quarterfinals), MC advances on penalty kicks.
Morton College 2 No. 7 South Suburban 1 (semifinals)
Morton College 3 No. 4 Elgin 2 OT (finals)