Auburn, ME – The Central Maine Mustangs men's and women's soccer teams kick off their 2024 seasons on Wednesday, August 21st on home turf. The women's team takes on Husson University at 4:00 pm, while the men's squad hosts Maine Maritime Academy at 7:30 pm.
Both Mustangs teams are the reigning Yankee Small College Conference (YSCC) champions with each of them appearing in the USCAA Division II National Tournament.
The CM women, coached by Rob Rodriguez in his 10th year, are coming off a 2023 season that finished with a (12-5-1) record. The Mustangs won eight straight games down the stretch ending with a 5-4 victory over Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences for the team's first YSCC crown.
Replacing their leading scorers from last season will be the team's toughest task, as both Natalie Tracy and Lakyn Hink have graduated. Tracy scored 26 times in 17 games while Hink was on target for 13 goals.
Katie Blouin will look to lead the charge up front, while fellow captains Madisyn Turcotte and Audrey Dillman patrol the lines on the defensive end. The Mustangs are also experienced in between the posts with goalkeepers Emma Knowles and Ava Morgan returning from last year's team.
Wednesday's opener is just one of only five home games on the schedule for the CM women, as they play just twice more in Auburn before the calendar hits October.
The men are led by first-year head coach Dalton Wing who takes the reins from Kiaran McCormack, who moved to Thomas College to become an assistant coach with their men's team. Wing was an assistant under McCormack last year, as the Mustangs captured their second straight conference title.
Isidoro Domingues joins Wing as his new assistant coach. The pair both played their college soccer at CMCC with Wing's on field career spanning from 2017-19, while Domingues was a member of the 2022 and 2023 teams.
Isidoro's brothers, Ivan Domingues and Igor Domingues will both be back in action for the Mustangs this season. Ivan led the team in scoring and returns after a blistering 2023 campaign that saw him score 27 goals and add another 11 assists. Igor was second on the team in tallies, finding the back of the net 14 times himself.
Captain Alfie Bashford will look to help set the tone defensively, while goalkeeper Arnaud Nyagasaza looks to add to an impressive season a year ago that saw the Mustangs record nine shutout victories on their way to a (13-3-1) record.
Fans are welcome to attend both games. Admission at Central Maine Community College is free and parking is available beside Jalbert Hall.