Monroe's Soccer Team Places Fourth at Nationals

Anthony Asante, Monroe's star striker, scored in the semi-final (Photo courtesy of Monroe College)

In its most successful season ever, Monroe College's men's soccer team came within two games of winning the NJCAA Division 1 Nationals.

At the tournment in Tyler, Texas, in mid-November, the second-seeded Monroe Mustangs won their first game against Otero Junior College (CO), before going down in the semi-final to Cinncinatti State, 2-1, in double over-time.

"We lost to a deep and classy team," Coach Marcus Dibernardo told the Monroe Mustangs website. "Yes, it doesn't feel very good now, but soon we'll realize that we had a great season."

Monroe then lost the third-place playoff game, leaving them with an end of season record of 19-2.

According to Dibernardo, the team is stacked with talent, and its success raises the bar for all future Monroe soccer teams. But as well as shining on the field, the players worked hard work and showed character and discipline off it.

"We set out every year to win the national championship," Dibernardo said in a telephone interview. "But education is first, getting their degrees is first. Then the sport."

Dibernardo and his team are already looking forward to next season.

"We wish we could start tomorrow," he said.

Monroe advanced to the nationals after winning the NJCAA Northeast Divison 1 District Championship in Massachusetts earlier in the month.

Story of the Day: Clinton and Kennedy High Schools Share Rivalry and Growing Pains

Check out the Norwood News for a look at the rivalry between Kennedy High School and DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx and what they're each up against this year. (Photo by Adi Talwar)

The Globetrotters are in Town, Plus Other Events This Weekend

Monroe College's men's basketball team is playing Erie Community College tomorrow afternoon at Mount Saint Michael Academy in Wakefield.

During the half-time interval, the world famous Harlem Globetrotters will be showing off their skills. Why? Because Monroe students won a Let's Can Hunger challenge, sponsored by the Campbell Soup Company. A visit from the Globetrotters was the prize. The game starts at 3 p.m. Admission is $2 or free with a can of food.

For more Bronx events and goings on, check out the calendar below. Have a nice weekend!

Editor's note: What did we miss? Send details to bronxnewsnetwork[at]gmail.com.

Monroe's Undefeated Soccer Team Off to the Nationals

The undefeated Mustangs with the trophy they won last weekend (Photos courtesy of Monroe College)

The Monroe Mustangs men's soccer team won the NJCAA Northeast Division I District Championship in Massachusetts last weekend.

In semi-final they had looked done and dusted, before a staging an astonishing comeback, scoring three goals in four second-half minutes. In the final they defeated Mercer County Community College of New Jersey 3-0.

The victory means they qualify, along seven other teams, for the Division 1 Nationals, to be held in Tyler, Texas next week.

In the tournament's opening game on Nov. 18, the talented Mustangs, which are 18-0 so far this season, will be up against Otero Junior College of Colorado.

If they beat Otero, and then win their semi-final, the team will advance to the championship final on Nov. 21. This year is the first time the Mustangs have made a run to the nationals.

Proud coach Marcus Dibernarndo (aka "Coach D") told the Monroe Mustangs' website that he's expecting a tough challenge. "Any team in this tournament is capable of going all the way," Dibernarndo said, "so we'll have to come out ready right from the start."



Freshman Anthony Asante (in white) gave Mercer CC a torrid time last Sunday, with two goals and an assist

Bronx Bombers Live to Fight Another Day

By Selim Khan

The champs get to play on . . . at least for one more game, that is.

With their backs against the wall and no margin for error, down 3 -1 in the American League Championship Series, the Yanks came out aggressive, striking early and often. Despite losing slugger Mark Teixeira for the rest of the playoffs in Game 4 to a hamstring injury, the Yankees scored three runs in the second inning and two more in the third inning, as the Yankees flexed their muscles when Nick Swisher and Robinson Cano went yard on back to back at bats.

Playing with a lead is not something the Yankees have enjoyed much in this series, so it was important for them to get out to an early lead and keep the sellout crowd in the game.

It helped that Rangers lefty CJ Wilson was not as sharp in his second start of the series. In Game 1, he pitched into the seventh inning, silencing the Yankee bats. This time, however, he lasted only five innings giving up six runs, five of them earned.

Although not dominant, CC Sabathia fared better this time around than in his Game 1 outing, pitching through six turbulent innings, giving up eleven hits, but only two runs.

With the score 6 -2 in favor of the Yankees, Sabathia showed his guts and resourcefulness in the sixth inning when the Rangers had the bases loaded with one out, but failed to score, culminating in Sabathia striking out Mitch Moreland looking.

The pressure on the Yankees was palpable. They didn't want to be eliminated in front of the home faithful. Plus, the Rangers were playing with house money knowing that they will be heading back home and have ace Cliff Lee in reserve for a Game 7, if necessary.

Talk and Watch Football in the Bronx on Monday Nights

Looking for a place to watch Monday Night Football in the Bronx? Well, the Applebee's in Fordham Plaza is now hosting a weekly Quarterback Coaches Show every Monday night at 7:30 p.m.

The show, a joint venture between WFUV radio, the Fordham Athletic Department and Applebee's, will feature an interview with Fordham head football coach Tom Massella and a couple of Rams players. They'll discuss the previous week's game (on Saturday Fordham, 2-5 on the year, lost to Yale, 7-6) and talk about upcoming contests.

You can also listen to the show on WFUV.

Yankees Have Much to Fear in the AL Championship Series (But That Doesn't Mean They Won't Win)

The Yankees continue their quest for a repeat World Series title tonight in Arlington, Texas against the Texas Rangers at 8 p.m. Here's a little preview of what's in store.

By Selim Khan

On the road to another World Series championship, I would advise NY Yankee fans to watch out for the caution advisory sign known as the Texas Rangers. Most fans, as well as media, figured that the ALCS matchup would be a hotly contested one between the Yanks and the Tampa Bay Rays, especially since they ran neck and neck all season long for the AL East crown.

Now with the Rays having been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Rangers, no one should be quick to automatically anoint the AL pennant to the defending champs.

The Rangers are not intimidated by the Yankees. The two teams split their eight regular season meetings, including a three game Rangers sweep of the Bombers in September.

True, critics may say that the Rangers didn’t have much pressure on them in those games because they had a sizeable lead in the AL West and it was a foregone conclusion that they would be a playoff participant this year. Yet, it’s still never easy to beat a team three straight times, especially a team the caliber of the Yankees.

As the ALCS matchup approaches, the Rangers have several things going for them.

First off, they’re led by a bona fide ace in Cliff Lee, who with each playoff win is not only adding to his postseason legacy, but also millions of dollars to his next contract (which many assume will be lavished upon him by the Yankees).

The Yankees Unobstructed — July 19

The Yankees are in first place with just over 71 games to play, 17 of which are set to be played against the second place Tampa Bay Rays and third place Boston Red Sox (who trail New York by three and 6 1/2 games, respectively).

Here are some things to watch out for as baseball heads into its home stretch:

Nick Swisher: Since Swisher was announced as a candidate for the final spot on the American League All-Star team on July 4, he's hit .381 with a .435 OBP, 3 home runs, 8 runs scored and a walk-off game-winning hit. Swish showed us last year that when he gets hot he can carry an offense....unfortunately, we also learned last year that he can also go dead cold at the plate for long stretches of time.

As the #2 hitter, when Swisher's hitting well and getting on base, it creates opportunities for the Yankees' power front to see hittable pitches. If Swisher can carry his career-year through the second half, we could see the Yankees offense become even more potent. But, if his bat goes dead, it'll put extra pressure on Mark Teixeira and Álex Rodriguez, who have already had struggles this year.

Speaking of Mark Teixeira: It's no coincidence that he's suddenly become the Tex the Yankees paid for. Since July 4, the first baseman has been on a rampage. He's hit five home runs for 11 RBI (in 10 games!), while improving his average from .243 to .253, and his OBP from .352 to .363 (neither is by any means good, but improvement should be noted).

Derek Jeter: On June 1, the Captain's batting average was .307....it now stands at a very un-Jeter .271. During that period, he's hit .228 and at one point he went 19 games without an RBI. In the past, when Jeter has had slumps like this he's recovered in grand fashion, which is why he's never finished a season with an average below .291.

Those Starting Pitchers: Each month this season, one of the Yankee starters has gone through a terrible slump. But when four pitchers are rocking it, it doesn't matter much how the fifth guy is faring. However, things could start getting rocky soon. A.J. Burnett still can't quite figure out how to avoid devastating innings, and Andy Pettitte will be out for the next month or so with a strained groin. The pressure's going to be on C.C. Sabathia, Phil Hughes and Javier Vazquez to produce quality starts, so the bullpen doesn't get too strained.

Oh Yeah, the Bullpen: It's gonna be a fight (in a good way)! Joba Chamberlain's been inconsistent, while David Robertson's in recovery mode and Jonathan Albaladejo's been lighting up triple-A opponents of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, and manager Joe Girardi has taken notice. He might just be trying to add extra motivation for Chamberlain to turn things around, but Girardi hinted this weekend that his role as primary setup man might be in jeopardy. Girardi told the Daily News:

"I'm not saying on a daily basis I am going to change our eighth-inning guy, but you have to earn your roles here," Girardi said. "And we evaluate on a daily basis."

Note: Make sure to check back every week for The Yankees, Unobstructed BxNN's Yankees opinion column.