The Central Maine Community College men’s soccer team celebrates after winning the USCAA Division II national championship Sunday in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dave Cleaveland/Maine Imaging

The Central Maine Community College men’s soccer team claimed the program’s first national title Sunday by beating Central Penn 7-0 in the USCAA Division II title game at Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh.

First-year head coach Dalton Wing said the Mustangs (17-1-2) played with the intensity they needed to win. He also said the team entered pool play with extra motivation from previous losses, the tournament opener against Johnson & Wales, who defeated CMCC in last year’s USCAA tournament.

“The guys not wanting to go home empty-handed again and having to do this 13-hour bus drive without a trophy, they all just pulled around each other,” Wing said. “Everybody had a job to do, and did their job well. I think that’s what made this year so different.”

Seven goals is the most ever in a USCAA title game. Ivan Domingues, Mitch Cameron and Sam Boynton each scored two goals, and Justin Violette added one. Tiro Nong and Matty Waters each finished with two assists. Freshman goalie Cody Cleaveland made five saves and didn’t allow a goal in the tournament.

The Mustangs were making their fourth straight USCAA tournament appearance. They lost in the second round of pool play each of the past three seasons, including a 4-0 to Johnson & Wales last season.

Domingues, who is from Lewiston and graduated from Hyde School in Bath, finished his third year at CMCC with 26 goals, and was named USCAA all-tournament, first-team All-America and USCAA co-national player of the year, sharing the honor with teammate Jeremiah Gomez.

Central Maine Community College players celebrate during Sunday’s USCAA Division II national championship men’s soccer game in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Mustangs defeated Central Penn 7-0 to claim the program’s first national title. Dave Cleaveland/Maine Imaging

“Ivan’s rap sheet here at CM in his time here in his career, just speaks for itself,” Wing said. “You give him the opportunity to score and he scores. He’s been the leader up top all the year, co-player of the year and he just finds himself in good spaces, good spots, loves the ball and has speed. He’s just a terrific player.”

Domingues said that while the personal accolades mean a lot to him, the most memorable and important part of his final season was winning the USCAA national title with his teammates. After he graduates this year, Domingues said he plans to try out for The Hearts of Pine, the new USL League One team in Portland.

Domingues was one of five players who returned for a third season with their sights set on the national title. The others are Violette, Igor Domingues, Raimundo Lubota and Arnaud Nyagasaza.

“That was something that the previous coach (Kiaran McCormack) said, is that the third year was the one that we were going to be able to get to the championship game,” Ivan Domingues said.

Boynton, a sophomore from China and an Erskine Academy graduate, has made the best of his limited playing time behind Ivan Domingues.

“Ten, 15 minutes a half is what he’s gotten this season, and when he gets those opportunities, he doesn’t disappoint,” Wing said. “Him coming off the bench is just a huge aspect to spark the team, and he did that super well Sunday.”

Boynton said he was excited to contribute two goals to Sunday’s national championship victory.

“I never thought I’d have the chance to score a goal, let alone two, coming off the bench; but, boy, was I happy that it happened to help the team achieve our goal,” Boynton said.

Central Maine Community College goalie Cody Cleaveland jumps for the ball during the USCAA Division II national championship game Sunday in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Cleaveland, a freshman, didn’t allow a goal in the tournament. Dave Cleaveland/Maine Imaging

Boynton said “determination and depth” were the strengths of this year’s squad, particularly in their win over Johnson & Wales (4-2 on penalty kicks after neither team scored in regulation or the two overtime periods).

He also credited Wing, a Lewiston High School graduate who played for the Mustangs from 2017-19.

“He’s really just a player’s coach,” Boynton said. “He always understands what we want or what we can do to help each other, and his determination and commitment to us with everything that’s been going on around the team in his life, he’s committed to us, really showed how much he cared, and we couldn’t be any happier with him and for him.”

Other honors earned by CMCC players this season include Gomez, first-team All-American; Alfie Bashford second-team All-American; Bashford, Cameron, Boynton and Raimundo Lubota each were selected to the USCAA all-tournament team, and Gomez was named tournament MVP.

The men’s soccer team is the second program to win a USCAA national championship, joining the women’s basketball team that has won three (2017, 2019 and 2022).