The score doesn't indicate it but Jamestown Community College men's soccer team played an outstanding first half against visiting Tompkins-Cortland CC in NJCAA Region 3 Division III action on Saturday.
JCC battled to a 2-2 first half tie. However, in the second half TC3 came on strong with three goals fora 5-2 verdict.
Tompkins-Cortland is ranked fourth in the nation in Division III with a 9-1 record while JCC fell to 3-5-1 overall and 2-3-1 in Region 3.
Article Photos
Max Murray of Jamestown Community College (20) holds off a Tompkins-Cortland CC player while taking a kick in Saturday’s NJCAA Region 3 Division III men’s soccer game. See additional photos at cu.post-journal.com.
P-J photo by Mark L. Anderson
Michael Rattu was especially a thorn in the side of JCC with four goals.
He scored the opening goal on a direct kick at 12 minutes and tallied from Edem Weimme at 24 minutes in the first half.
JCC got its two goals from Blake Montgomery on an assist from Max Murray at 19 minutes and Nolan Farr on a deflected shot with 13 minutes in the opening half.
It was Montgomery's second goal of the season and for Farr it was his first collegiate goal.
The score stayed at 2-2 until with 17 minutes left it was Rattu scoring again and just a couple of minutes later he got his fourth of the game to make it 4-2.
Donovan Jackson closed out the scoring with five minutes left.
JCC missed a couple of good chances to tie in the second half and the visitors took advantage with Rattu scoring on a breakaway.
Jess Kohler turned aside 10 shots for the winners and Ben Morgan made 12 saves, including a few spectacular ones, for JCC.
''This was a well-played game and although I wasn't happy with the result I was happy with the effort against the fourth-ranked team in the nation,'' said JCC coach Pat Anderson. ''We played the first half even with them and I hope that momentum carries over today.''
JCC tries to even the Region 3 Division III record at 3-3-1 with a 2 p.m. battle at Corning CC.