Nicolas Mattaldi

The Marshalltown Community College men’s soccer team secured its 10th-straight win to close the regular season with a convincing 5-0 victory over the William Penn University junior varsity squad on Friday at MCC.

The sixth-ranked Tigers (15-1-0, 9-1-0) got goals from three sophomores on Sophomore Day, including the first-career tally for Nicolas Mattaldi on a penalty kick in the 75th minute that closed the scoring.

“We are very excited that we were able to celebrate the sophomores today and their time with MCC soccer,” said head coach Rafael Martinez. “I do not forget that they made a commitment to our team two times — when they were recrited and when they chose to come back for their second year. They have faced many challenges and they have demonstrated a high level of commitment that has led to their success.

“They will be greatly missed after the season is finished.”

Sophomore Joel Valderas netted two goals in the first half, including the icebreaker in the 31st minute, as the Tigers jumped out to a 3-0 lead at the intermission. Sophomore Pedro Silva assisted on the first of two Valderas goals, while Marco Antonio Medeiros set up fellow freshman Sekou Kromah with the other first half tally.

Rafael Vacas scored on an assist from fellow sophomore Leonardo Tomasi to kick off the second-half scoring for the Tigers, and Mattaldi’s successful penalty kick closed the book with 15:30 left to play.

Marshalltown outshot the Statesmen by a 19-3 margin, with MCC sophomore goalkeeper Tom Wackens recording the shutout for his three saves.

“I felt like we did not bring our intensity to the level that we needed for the entire match, and this is something that will put an end to our season if it is repeated in the [regional] semifinals,” Martinez added. “There were many moments in which we did what we needed to do, but not consistenly at the level that Marshalltown soccer is accustomed to this year.”

MCC’s 15 sophomores have been a part of a 28-4 record on the pitch to this point in their careers.

The next match for the Tigers will be in the NJCAA Region XI semifinals, when MCC will host a first-round winner in a 2 p.m. match on October 23 on the front lawn of Marshalltown Community College. The regional finals will be played on October 27, hosted by the highest remaining seed, and the Region XI champion will host the district final on Nov. 3 with a national tournament berth on the line.