MCC Hosts Bunker Hill CC in NJCAA Div. III Region XXI Men’s Soccer Championship Saturday

MANCHESTER, Conn. (Nov. 2) – Top-seeded Manchester Community College will host third-seeded Bunker Hill Community College in the 2006 National Junior College Athletic Association Division III Region XXI (New England) Men’s Soccer Tournament championship game at noon Saturday at the McCormick Athletic Complex.

MCC will attempt to win its third straight NJCAA Division III Region XXI (New England) Men’s Soccer Tournament championship. The Cougars defeated Bunker Hill Community College 3-0 on Nov. 5, 2005 and Holyoke Community College 4-1 on Nov. 6, 2004 to win consecutive titles and reach the NJCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Tournament quarterfinals.

This will be Manchester Community College’s fifth straight NJCAA Division III Region XXI (New England) Men’s Soccer Tournament championship appearance. MCC won its first NJCAA Division III Region XXI title under coach Jim Insinga in 2002, defeating Springfield Technical Community College 4-3 in overtime. The 2002 team advanced to the NJCAA Division III semifinals.

The Cougars (14-3-1 overall, 8-0 NJCAA Division III Region XXI), ranked No. 11 in the latest NJCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Poll, finished undefeated in the NJCAA Division III Region XXI regular season for the second straight year. MCC has won 17 straight NJCAA Division III Region XXI games, dating back to the 2004 season. This 17-game streak includes three wins in the NJCAA Division III Region XXI (New England) Men’s Soccer Tournament.

MCC has a 14-game winning streak against Bunker Hill Community College (7-11 overall in 2006), dating back to Insinga’s first season in 2000. MCC defeated Bunker Hill CC 5-1 on Sept. 9 in Boston, Mass., and 3-0 in Manchester on Oct. 4.

The 2006 NJCAA Division III Region XXI (New England) Men’s Soccer Tournament champion will host the winner of Saturday’s NJCAA Division III Region XV championship game between No. 1 seed Suffolk County Community College-Selden (14-0-2) and No. 2 seed Nassau Community College (16-1-1) in the NJCAA Division III District III (Northeast) championship game Tuesday at 1 p.m.

Sophomore forward Andreas Blamo (WEST HARTFORD) became the career points leader with a second-half goal in MCC’s 3-2 win against American International College JV on Oct. 31.

Blamo, the NJCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Player of the Week for Oct. 1-7, has 27 goals and 20 assists for 74 points in 33 career games. He moved past 2004 first-team NJCAA Division III All-American Darren Foster (73) for first on the career points list. Blamo is tied with 2005 first-team NJCAA Division III All-American and Southern Connecticut State University junior forward Colin Jackson for third on the career goals list. He is one assist away from tying 2005 first-team NJCAA All-American Lamar Chancey (21) for first on the career assists list.

Freshman forward/midfielder Jemmy Cange (NORWICH) has team highs of 15 goals and 38 points. Freshman midfielder Santiago Meira (AVON) leads the team with 15 assists, tying him for second on the single-season list with Jersson Diaz.

Freshman Artur Czupryna (COVENTRY), the NJCAA Division III Goalkeeper of the Week for Oct. 1-7, has allowed 16 goals in 18 games for a 1.03 goals-against average. He has recorded six shutouts (four solo) and 82 saves (.837 save percentage) in 1,404 minutes.

The Cougars are 71-46-5 under Insinga, including 6-2 in the NJCAA Division III Region XXI Men’s Soccer Tournament.