DRYDEN, NY: For the second consecutive season the Genesee Community College men's soccer team will represent Region III in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Tournament after the Cougars won the District B championship on Sunday over Broome CC 5-1.
GCC, ranked No. 6 nationally, advanced to Sunday's finals at host site Tompkins Cortland CC as the number two seed, reaching the championship match for the sixth consecutive season.
Genesee dominated time of possession in the first half and outshot Broome, the No. 3 seed, 9-3 with six of those shots on target.
The Hornets scored the game's first goal and held an early lead after a header in the third minute off of a corner kick found the back of the GCC net.
The Cougars had chances during the first period and had seven corner kicks that were unsuccessful. Benjamin Seaton nearly tied the game midway through the first 45 minutes, but his shot from eight yards out hit the post and GCC once again went empty on an offensive possession.
Amadou Barry finally got Genesee on the board and tied the game in the 40th minute with a shot from outside the box that skipped off the turf and underneath the Broome goalkeeper. He was set up by Rafael Godoi who earned the assist.
Ryan Price wasted little time after Barry's goal and gave Genesee its first lead in the 42nd after a failed attempt to clear by BCC left Price alone in front of the Hornets net. He capitalized and fired a shot into the lower right corner for his fifth goal of the season.
William Stone extended the GCC lead to 3-1 with a goal in the 65th minute. The sophomore sent a left foot bid into the left corner of the net for his 22nd tally of the year.
Seaton then scored in the 70th minute to put Genesee in front 4-1 and just over two minutes later, Sofiane Hamadi gave the Cougars a four-goal lead with a score in the 73rd to make it 5-1.
The game went scoreless for the final 17 minutes and with the win, GCC captured its third regional title in school history.
Genesee (14-1-2) limited Broome to just two shots on net in the game and Cougars' goalkeeper David Ormiston made one save. The goal allowed was the first in three games by the GCC defense.
Genesee will now await the seeding and pairings for the national tournament, which runs from Nov. 10-13 at Herkimer College.