Right to Dream Roundup

In this week’s roundup: Mohammed Rashid’s Williams College reach the NCAA Division III Elite Eight; Joshua Yaro and James C. Nortey in action as Georgetown University and Marquette University each qualify for NCAA Third Round.

*Ephs advance to NCAA D-III men's soccer Final Four*

We start our journey at Williams College where Mohamed Rashid scored a vital goal as his school’s soccer team reached the NCAA Division III Elite Eight on Saturday.

Rashid picked a pass from his teammate, Matt Muralles, on the left side of the box before shooting in off the right post to give his side an insurance goal following the opener.

The Ephs, as they are affectionately called, went on to beat Amherst College 1:0 a day later to advance to the NCAA Division III Final Four in San Antonio, for the second time in four years.

Rashid has thus scored five goals in 15 appearances this season, a mark of a good player who only recently underwent surgery.

*Georgetown handles Monarchs in second round with 3-0 victory*

In Washington, Joshua Yaro’s Georgetown University got off on the right foot in the 2013 NCAA tournament with a 3-0 victory against Old Dominion at Shaw Field. The stalwart defender tallied a shot in the game that saw the Blue and Gray move onto the third round where they host the 11th-seeded Michigan State next Sunday.

*NCAA Tourney: MU Tops Zips 1-0 in Extra Time*

In Milwaukee, James C. Nortey played the entire game as the Marquette University soccer team defeated the Akron Zips in the NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championship on a frigid night at Valley Fields.

With their first-ever NCAA tournament victory, the ninth-seeded Golden Eagles now advance to the Round of 16 next Sunday, Dec. 1 when they travel to Charlottsville, Va. to take on the No. 8 seed Virginia Cavaliers.

UCSB exit NCAA Fifi Baiden was “controversially’’ sent off in the 6th minute as the University of California, Santa Barbara were knocked out of the NCAA after losing 1:0 to Penn State.

Baiden expressed his disappointment at the turn of events and took some positives from what happened.

He wrote on his facebook account: “Last night, I experienced my FIRST red card ever in my career as a soccer player.

“To be honest, it was a horrible experience. It cost the team, and makes you realize how much you let the team down. I never pictured my college career ending on such a sad note but whether the ref made a mistake on that call or not, I think it was a great learning experience for me.

He continued, “With all that being said, I want to say a big thank you to my teammates-from the seniors down to the freshmen. It was a tough road but we came together as brothers and fought like warriors, and thats what a team is all about. Very proud to be a gaucho!!!

*Ghana International:*

Defender Godfred Saka helped Ghana win the West African Union tournament. The Aduana FC right full back scored the opener from a freekick as the local Black Stars team beat Burkina Faso in the Group phase of the tournament.

Academy:

Three happy cheers to the RtD Girls Academy team who beat the boys U-11s 4:3. Lydia scored a brace with further goals from Vivian and Patience. Meanwhile, the U-15s were held to a pulsating 3:3 drawn game by Arise FC. Umar Kenya’s side led 3:0 with goals by Frank, Ganiyu and Seth before the away team drew level late on in the game. Lastly, the boys U-13s won their game 5:1 with goals by Kelvin (3), Duku and Boahene.