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Region 15 Champion Suffolk C.C. Women’s Soccer Squares Off Against Onondaga Community College In 2023 NJCAA Division III Championships
Posted: Nov 06, 2023

Region 15 Champion Suffolk C.C. Women’s Soccer Squares Off Against Onondaga Community College In 2023 NJCAA Division III Championships

Gastonia, North Carolina - The 2023 Region 15 Champion and fourth-seeded Suffolk Community College women's soccer team will lace it up in the NJCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championships Quarterfinals against fifth-seeded Onondaga Community College today at 1:30 p.m. It will be a battle between two top-ten opponents from the 2023 NJCAA Division III Women's Soccer poll.

This quarterfinal matchup will face two explosive offenses and stout defenses from Suffolk Community College and Onondaga, who are both in the top ten nationally in goals. The Sharks are fifth in the country with 70 goals, and the Lazers are sixth nationally with 62 goals. Suffolk and Onondaga also take care of business on the backline as the Lazers are fourth in the country in goals allowed (7) and goals against (0.44), while the Sharks are right behind in fifth with eight goals allowed and a 0.51 goals against average.

The Sharks are back in the National Tournament for the first time since 2021. The Sharks finished the season with another Region 15 title and a 14-1-1 overall record. Suffolk C.C. defeated FIT 3-1 in the Region 15 Championship to get to Gastonia and are led offensively by three players with 10 or more goals, led by sophomore Melany Pagan-Rosario, a 2023 All-Region 15 First Team selection with 14 goals. Freshmen Yamileth Fuentes is second with 13, and Anastassia Gallego is third with 11 goals. Pagan-Rosaro and Gallego have dished out a team-high 11 assists, which tied for tenth in the country.

The Sharks are led in the net by one of the top goaltenders in the country, sophomore Aaliyah Shorter, who leads the country in three categories: save percentage (.964), goals against average (0.16), and goals allowed (1).

The fifth-seeded and No. 10 nationally ranked Lazers finished the regular season 13-2-1, making program history with their first-ever Region 3B Championship and the school's first trip to the NJCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship after defeating Herkimer 3-2 in the 2023 Region 3B Championship. The Tournament MVP and freshman Harmony Russell leads this explosive attack with a team-best 20 goals, with two coming to the Region Championship. Her 20 goals are also tied for third in the country, while her 46 points are fourth nationally. The Onondaga Community College also has two other scorers with 10 or more goals in freshman Brenna Mast and Grace O'Gorman, who have netted 13 and 10 markers, which are second and third on the team. Mast is also the chef of the offense with a team-high 12 assists, which are also tied sixth nationally.

The Lazers are led by a strong netminder as well in Mikalah Bliss, who posted 11 shutouts and is fourth in the country in save percentage (.927) and fifth in goals allowed average (0.44).

The game will be streamed live on the NJCAA network, and for live stats, click here.