A second-half adjustment by the coaching staff and complete confidence in his players proved to be the magic formula for Coach George Hobbins and the Roadrunner Men's Soccer team Thursday night.

The Runners, the No. 6 seed, survived a tough consolation match vs. Bunker Hill CC, winning 5-4 in penalty kicks following two overtime periods in the NJCAA Division III National Championship tournament in Gastonia, NC.

Goalkeeper Lucien Maslin performed well in shootout period, stopping the final two attempts by the Bulldogs, while Gilmer Mendoza booted in what proved to be the winning PK for the win.

But getting to that point wasn't easy. Behind 1-0 near halftime, Hobbins and his staff switched to a 4-3-3 formation, which gave his team three attacking players upfield (instead of one) and put the pressure on the Bunker Hill defense.

RCSJ made the new formation work in the second half as midfielder Joseph Lomas moved the ball up quickly to Mendoza, who headed the ball into the opposing net to tie the score at 1-1 midway through the half.

"We put up three fingers to the players and they knew what to do," said Hobbins. "We were controlling this game the whole time, but the shots weren't falling. We had confidence that these players would pull through."

Lomas was also confident once the change was made.

"We worked this successfully a couple times in the regular season, and we practiced it a lot before a few games," he said. "We were ready and very confident."

Also performing well were midfielders Owen Strohm, Kevin Martin and Tyler Lowe, who dominated the center of the field and Kept the Runners within striking distance.

"We were confident in our processes and turns out we played our best game of the season," commented Strohm, a second-year starter. "What a great way to end the year!"

The two teams went to overtime and finished in a 1-1 tie prior to the dramatic PK shootout. Convertng PKs in the shootout were Mendoza, Lomas, Strohm, Tyler Lowe, and Robert Piontkowski for the 5-4 advantage. In the cage, Maslin stopped 5 of 6 in regulation along with his two clutch saves in the shootout.

The Runners finished the tournament with a 1-1 mark following a quarterfinal loss to No. 3 Mohawk Valley on Wednesday. They concluded the Fall 2023 season at 15-4-1, with the 15 wins tied for the most in school history.

"The coaching staff is so proud of these players -- they never backed down," said Hobbins. "This was a win they should always remember."

Quarterfinal Round: Mohawk Valley 4, Roadrunners 0

The No. 6 Roadrunner Men's Soccer team dropped their quarterfinal game vs. No. 3 Mohawk Valley by a 4-0 count Wednesday night in the NJCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship Tournament in Gastonia, NC.

The Hawks' Jesus Sanchez netted a first-half goal as Mohawk Valley held a slim 1-0 halftime advantage. Mohawk Valley then controlled the second half with three goals, including two quick goals at the start of the period, to close out the victory.

The Hawks outshot RCSJ by a 17-10 count in claiming the win and advancing to the semifinal round on Friday, Nov. 10. The loss snapped a 12-game Roadrunner unbeaten streak going back to the middle of the regular season.  The Runners dropped to 14-4-1 overall while the Hawks improved to 14-0-3 overall. 

"I'm proud of these guys and the efforts they gave against a very good team," said head coach George Hobbins. "We just didn't take advantage of the opportunities we had on offense. Right now we need to have a short memory and come back Thursday ready to bounce back."

Next up for the Runners will be a consolation game vs. No. 7 Bunker Hill Thursday at 6:30 pm.

Results:
https://www.njcaa.org/sports/msoc/2023-24/div3/national_championship/National_Championship_Results

Photo Highlights from Game 1 

See Roadrunner Men's Soccer photo highlights from Game 1 vs. Mohawk Valley in the NJCAA Division III National Championship Tournament in Gastonia, NC. Photos by Orlando Corry.
https://www.njcaa.org/sports/msoc/2023-24/photos/0004/index

Tournament Preview

For the first time in his coaching career, Roadrunner men's soccer skipper George Hobbins and his team will meet Mohawk Valley Community College -- and the match will take place on the biggest of stages.

That's when the two teams will meet in the NJCAA Division III National Championship Tournament in Gastonia, NC on Wednesday, Nov. 8, in the quarterfinal round. Hobbins' Roadrunners won the Region 19 North Atlantic District B title on Oct. 28th and enter as the No. 6 seed. The Hawks won the Region 3 title and come in as the No. 3 overall seed.

"There's no question we'll have a tough fight on our hands -- but that's what you expect in a national tournament," Hobbins said. "Mohawk Valley has a tough midfield and some talented backs, so we will need to bring our "A" game."

The two teams enjoyed solid workout sessions at CaroMont Health Park in Gastonia, NC, and are ready to meet on the fast artificial turf surface.

"We had a great workout and the players are excited to finally play in a national tournament," said Hobbins.

The Runners will rely heavily on the talents of Region 19 all-stars Dwayne Small, defender; Lucien Maslin, goalkeeper; Gilmer Mendoza, forward; and Lucas Fryc, defender, among others.

The Hawks enter the tournament unbeaten with a 13-0-3 record. Their top players include Fasaikou Jammeh, defense; Andrew Chmukh, defense; Lucas Beja, forward; Alieu Barrie, midfield; and Gustavo Nunes, forward.

Check back for tournament updates and scores as well as for interviews with Roadrunner players.

Click Below to View Runners' Roster
https://rcroadrunners.com/sports/msoc/2023-24/roster

Click Below to View DIII Soccer Championship Results
https://www.njcaa.org/sports/msoc/2023-24/div3/national_championship/National_Championship_Results

2023 NJCAA DIII Men's Soccer
National Championship Tournament
CaroMont Health Park. Gastonia, NC.

No. 3 Mohawk Valley vs. No. 6 RCSJ Gloucester
6:30 pm

Records
Mohawk Valley 13-0-3
Roadrunners 14-3-1

Coaches:
Mohawk Valley -- Dominic DiMaggio
Roadrunners -- George Hobbins

Quarterfinal Matchups
11:00 am
No 8 Harper vs. No. 1 Dallas College Richland
Final: Dallas College 9-0

1:30 pm
No. 5 Camden County College vs. No. 4 Herkimer
Final: Herkimer 6-3

4:00 pm
No. 7 Bunker Hill vs. No. 2 Nassau
Final: Nassau 1-0 in 2OT

6:30 pm
No. 6 RCSJ Gloucester vs. No. 3 Mohawk Valley
Final: Mohawk Valley 4-0

Thursday, Nov. 9 

Consolation Round
Final: No. 6 RCSJ Gloucester 1, Bunker Hill CC 1 
Roadrunners win 5-4 on penalty kicks 

Consolation Round 
Final: Camden CC 0, Harper 0
Camden CC wins 5-4 on penalty kicks