Cavaliers host Dodge City in Region VI soccer playoffs Sunday

Ramon Bravo, the team's leading scorer, celebrates a game winning goal with his teammates

Posted: Oct 25, 2019

OVERLAD PARK, Kan. – The Johnson County Community College men's soccer team, runner-up in the Jayhawk Conference East Division, will host an opening round match of the NJCAA Region VI Men's Soccer Championship this Sunday, at 2 p.m.

The Cavaliers (9-5-3) will host Dodge City Community College (10-2-2) in the opening round. The Conquistadors finished in third place in the Jayhawk Conference West Division behind Barton Community College and Cloud County Community College.

Johnson County is the No. 4 seed; Dodge City the No. 5. The winner of this match will take on the winner of the match between No. 1 Barton and No. 8 Neosho County. In the other half of the bracket, No. 6 Kansas City Kansas plays at No. 3 Cloud County and No. 2 Cowley hosts No. 7 Garden City. The first round winners will advance to the semifinals at the home of the higher-seeded team on Thursday, Oct. 31.

Johnson County leads the all-time series with Dodge City, 9-5-2, but the Conquistadors have won four of the last five meetings, and all five have been decided by one goal.

The Cavaliers have three players in double-digits in points scored this season. Leading the way is freshman forward Roman Bravo with 20 points. He also leads the team in goals scored with nine and in game winning goals with four. In the conference standings, Bravo ranks tied for ninth in both points and goals, and is tied for the conference lead in game-winners.

The other player in double figures are sophomore midfielders Brady Tulley and Marcos Vinicius. Tulley has 14 points from five goals and four assists. Vinicius has 11 points from two goals and a team-leading seven assists, which rank fifth in the conference.

In the net is sophomore Pedro Ivaskoski, a two-time selection for KJCCC Goalkeeper of the Week this season. He is 9-5-3 with a goals against average of 1.23 and a save percentage of .832. His nine wins tied for first in the league, and he ranks fifth in goals against average and third in save percentage.

Johnson County is led by 20-year veteran head coach Fatai Ayoade. In his 20 years, Ayoade has a record of 228-156-25. He led his team to five conference titles, four Region VI titles and three NJCAA National Tournament appearances.