Women’s Soccer:

Women’s Soccer has clinched a home playoff game for the NJCAA Regional Championships round, and will play host to the #4 seed, who is still TBD. The Knights are off to an impressive 7-2-2 record the year after a National Championships appearance, where they are looking to get back to this November. The Knights are a perfect 7-0 in conference play, with two final games against Bristol and Roxbury CC on the schedule for next week. 

The Community College of Rhode Island overwhelmed Bristol Community College with an 8-0 victory on Saturday, October 19th. Herlinda Guitirez was the star of the match, netting four goals and providing two assists, showcasing her exceptional skill and teamwork. The first half saw an explosive performance as CCRI raced to a 4-0 lead, with Guitirez striking three times. Bristol struggled to find their rhythm, managing only eight shots throughout the game, with goalkeeper Hayley King making a valiant effort but ultimately facing relentless pressure. In the second half, CCRI continued their offensive onslaught, adding four more goals to cement a commanding win. With a total of 24 shots and 9 assists, CCRI's cohesive play and relentless drive left no room for doubt: they are a force to be reckoned with this season.

The Knights also came away with a 1-0 win on Wednesday, October 16th, against Springfield Technical CC. This defensive minded game was still scoreless headed into the second half. It was one of those games where you know whoever sneaks one past the goalie first was going to hang on. In the 54th minute, Margeory Giron-Reyes sent a pass into Herlinda Guitirez’s foot, who shot one into the back of the net to finally give the Knights a commanding 1-0 lead. Giron-Reyes (8) and Guitirez (12) have combined for 20 goals this season so far for Rhode Island’s offense. 

Men’s Soccer:  

The CCRI Men's Soccer team traveled to Northern Essex on Tuesday, October 15th, for the biggest conference game of the regular season.  The Knights came out and looked good against the dangerous Northern Essex offense.  Nichols Pires and Braiden Corbett had excellent games on the back line, defending wave after wave of attack.  Elijah Cruz who was in goal for the Knights also made big contributions by making some big time saves throughout the game.  In the second half, a slight mistake on behalf of two Knights gave the Northern Essex leading goal scorer, Jaidiel Bomfim, the opportunity he needed. The ball bounced nicely to his dominant left foot inside the box, and he put it away past Cruz. Jadiel Bomfim struck again 30 seconds later, after the ball hit the post and he grabbed the rebound to put Northern Essex up 2-0.  The Knights tried to come back with strong play from Andrew Jackson, Devin Cabral and Jose Reynoso.  Yvens Zamor tried his best to control the midfield possession, attempting to connect with Sebastian Velez up top for a nice opportunity, but the Knights were not able to find the back of the net.  The game ended in a 2-0 win for Northern Essex.  

Next, the CCRI Men's Soccer Team welcomed Massbay Community College on Saturday, October 19th, for the second game of a double header after the Women's match at noon.  The game started at 2PM on the beautiful Flanagan Campus, on a warm day, as the temperature was going to hit 70 degrees.  Elijah Cruz, who is a primary field player and converted to play in net this year, was back in goal for the Knights.  Cruz has been doing an excellent job since he has jumped in goal.  The Knights had about three chances in the first five minutes, but lacked the critical fundamental finishes at the end.  At the 17th minute, Antonio Rojo Rodriguez made a nice pass into Tyler Pendergast, who took two touches to set up a long-distance shot.  Pendergast was able to put it past the MassBay goalie to put the Knights up on the board 1-0.  At the 38th minute, Sam Naiefeh Jr. dribbled through some MassBay defenders, and then hit a lofting pass over the top, where Devin Cabral used his speed to catch up to it near the 18 yard box.  The Massbay goalie and defender collapsed on the ball, but Cabral was able to beat them to it just in time to give the Knights the 2-0 lead before halftime.  In the second half, Andrew Jackson kept serving up some nice passes into the box, but the Knights were not able to finish and score.  Devin Cabral and Sebastian Velez has some chances to increase the lead but to no avail.  Coach Toro expressed that,"the game can be cruel at times, when you play well and meet some of your team goals, in this case better team possession, but the actual score line does not reflect it".  

CCRI's next game is scheduled for Tuesday, 10/22/24, when they will meet Roxbury for the last game of the regular season for the Knights.  Come out to say thank you to the sophomores who will be graduating this upcoming year. 

Volleyball: 

Coming into the week, the 9-1 Knights faced their biggest match of the season on Tuesday, October 15th, against Northern Essex at home. In a thrilling five-set battle, Northern Essex Community College edged out the Community College of Rhode Island with a final score of 3-2. The match was a rollercoaster of momentum, and the opposing Knights squad was able to edge this one out. Northern Essex started strong, taking the first set 25-21, but CCRI fought back to capture the second set 25-21, driven by standout performances from Sellymar Garcia and Julia Polofsky. The third set saw  CCRI gain control, winning 25-16, and lead the match 2-1, but Northern Essex responded fiercely in the fourth set, battling to a 25-13 victory. As the match went to a decisive fifth set, Northern Essex’s resilience shone through, securing the win 15-12. Key contributions came from Ashley Nivar Martinez and Nileyshka Rigual, who led the charge for the visiting Knights squad. 

Next, CCRI would travel to Massasoit Community College on Saturday, October 19th, for their second tri-match of the season with Massaoit and Roxbury CC. Massasoit Community College delivered a powerful performance against the Community College of Rhode Island, sweeping the match 3-0. From the outset, Massasoit  had the advantage taking the first set 25-21, fueled by strong serves and effective teamwork.This must have come as a shock to CCRI, who had previously swept their opponent Massasoit in their previous matchup.  CCRI put up a valiant effort in the second set, but Massasoit maintained their momentum, again finishing 25-21. The third set saw CCRI try to fight back again, pushing Massasoit to the edge, but ultimately fell with a score of 23-25, as Massasoit sealed their victory.

CCRI looked to regroup and come back stronger in their next match of the day, and they did. CCRI dominated each set, winning decisively with scores of 25-10, 25-13, and 25-9. The match was characterized by strong offensive play from CCRI, with Teagan Abatiello leading the charge with six kills, and Sellymar Garcia contributed five kills and 16 points. Their efficient attacking kept Roxbury on the defensive throughout the match, struggling to find any rhythm. 

The Knights are now 10-3 on the season, and will finish the season up with 3 straight home games, one on Tuesday, October 22nd at 6:30 PM against MassBay Community College, followed hosting a Tri-Match this Saturday, October 26th, against Quinsigamond and Holyoke CC. 

Player Spotlight: Devin Cabral

Cabral, a returner from last season and, has started a majority of games this season at right wing for the Knights, and has totaled 3 goals and 1 assist this season. Last week, Devin added his third goal to the total, leading his team to an important 2-0 victory over MassBay. His effort on the pitch has been praised by both Head Coach Gabe Toro and Assistant Coach Mike Jerue for his outstanding play and attitude on the field. The team, behind Cabral, after starting 0-6 are now 3-7-2, shaping up to squeeze into the postseason as a #5 or #6 seed in the Region.