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MCC’s Leal named to All-America third team

Gustavo Leal

The Marshalltown Community College men’s soccer team’s march to within one win of a second-consecutive NJCAA National Tournament berth hinged on the Tigers’ defense.

MCC allowed just one goal or fewer in its last 11 contests, and sophomore defender Gustavo Leal received the accolade to acknowledge that.

Leal was named to the NCAA Division I All-America third team on Monday, recognizing one of the Tigers’ sophomore captains who helped the defense turn things around this past fall.

MCC finished ranked No. 13 in the country after falling short of a second-straight trip to nationals. The Tigers lost to Laramie County (Wyo.) Community College in a shootout. Marshalltown didn’t allow a regulation or overtime goal in its final three postseason matches and went 8-1-2 over its last 11 outings by allowing one goal or fewer in each of them.

“[I’m] proud of Gustavo and the rest of the team that made it possible,” MCC head coach Rafael Martinez posted on his Facebook page. “Team success equals individual recognition. Give to your team and your team will give to you.”

The Tigers finished the season 14-4-2 having allowed just .92 goals per game, doling out eight shutouts along the way. The top two scoring individuals in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference — Jovoney Brown of Iowa Lakes and Christian Koffi of Iowa Central — were held without goals when MCC elimanated their teams from NJCAA Region XI play. Brown was named first-team All-America and Koffi received second-team honors.

Iowa Western, which earned an at-large berth to nationals after losing to MCC in the regional semifinals, was represented by first-team All-American Fitzroy Cummings and third-teamer Damia Viader.

Leal is the first MCC defenseman to earn NJCAA All-America honors since Fernando Gutierrez was a second-team honoree in 2015. Leal finished his career with four goals and four assists, earning first-team all-Region XI and all-tournament team honors as well as the all-Region XI Tournament MVP award.

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