ARNOLD, MD – The Anne Arundel Community College men's soccer team has earned the sixth seed in the 2022 NJCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship, and will face third seed and tournament host Genesee Community College in the opening round at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 9, in Batavia, N.Y.
AACC (11-4) won the NJCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic District title with a 1-0 victory over Prince George's Community College on Saturday, October 29 at Siegert Field. The Riverhawks advance to the national tournament for the second-straight year and fourth time in program history.
"Our guys have worked extremely hard and are honored to return to the national tournament," said Head Coach Nick Cosentino. "Given our success last year, the team really embraced the challenge of returning and winning the district again. The players have bought into some new principles that Coach [Drew] Belcher has introduced and they have thrived."
"It is the deepest team we have ever had. Our bench guys and practice players are one of the keys to our success. They have pushed us in training and made us better. We are a true team," he added. "The guys have bonded really well and looking forward to a successful experience."
AACC recorded double-digit wins for the first time since 2016, and enters the tournament on a five-game win streak.
The Riverhawks were also crowned NJCAA Region 20 DIII champs with a 3-0 record in Region 20 divisional games and the combined Region/District tourney win over Prince George's.
AACC's depth this season is notable as 22 student-athletes on the Riverhawks' roster have seen action in at least 10 games this season. Scoring has been by committee as 13 players have scored at least one goal and 11 different players have picked up at least one assist. Midfielder Leyton Calzado leads AACC with 16 points on seven goals (three game-winners) and two assists. Forward Mo Sary leads the crew of playmakers with three assists. Calzado and Nehemias Rubio each scored four goals in the month of October, with Rubio netting the game-winner in the District Championship last weekend.
Edgar Garcia has played the bulk of AACC's minutes in net and boasts a 1.54 goals against average. He has allowed just 21 goals this season while recording four shutouts (two solo). Garcia was named the NJCAA DIII Goalkeeper of the Week for his first shutout of the season on August 25.
Anne Arundel will face third seed and tournament host Genesee (12-3-3) at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. The Cougars come into the tournament with a 10-1 home record, and claimed the Region 3 and NJCAA North B District titles in penalty kicks over Mohawk Valley on October 30 in Cortland, N.Y. The semifinal round will take place on Friday, November 11, with the championship game slated for Sunday, November 13.
All tournament games can be streamed on the NJCAA Network at njcaa.org/network.