Champions! Berkeley College Knights Capture First USCAA National Soccer Title

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2019

Contact: Ilene Greenfield
Director of Media Relations
973-278-5400, ext. 1-5122
IGL@BerkeleyCollege.edu

Stephen Spagnoli
Assistant Athletics Director
Stephen-Spagnoli@BerkeleyCollege.edu

 

CHAMPIONS!
BERKELEY COLLEGE KNIGHTS CAPTURE FIRST USCAA NATIONAL SOCCER TITLE

New York Team Nets 3-0 Victory over Johnson & Wales – Charlotte  

Share the News: @BerkeleyCollege @USCAA #BerkeleyKnights

USCAA Knights Championship team

The Berkeley College Men's Soccer team, New York, captured its first United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) Division II National title on November 11, 2019, in a 3-0 victory against Johnson & Wales University – Charlotte. 

"These student-athletes believed in the system, believed in themselves, and always believed that through hard work and diligence, they would enjoy success," said Stavros Zomopoulos, Head Coach. "This was the culmination of four months of working and building to this moment. Through this season, these young men learned how to become a team and win as a team. They've learned valuable lessons over the course of this journey, and the championship that they captured today is something they'll always cherish. I'm extraordinarily proud of them."

Johnson & Wales University – Charlotte had a number of opportunities in the opening half, but the Wildcats' six shots on goal were all stopped by Knights goalkeeper Dario Cruz-Sepulveda. The Knights registered 14 shots in the opening 45 minutes of action, including three on goal. Two of those three shots on net were saved, but Wildcats goaltender Vincent Diep couldn't save a shot by Amadou Sy at 27:12. That goal was the lone tally of the opening session, with Ryuji Sugiyama recording the assist.

Sixty-eight seconds into the second half, Mr. Sy would strike again after an error by Mr. Diep. The Wildcats goalkeeper was looking to clear the ball, but in trying to do so, he sniped it right into Mr. Sy. The ball ricocheted, deflecting off Mr. Diep and into the net to make it 2-0 Knights. Mr. Sy would strike again at 66:32, receiving a pass from Marcos Leon. The Wildcats would only register three more shots the right of the way, as Berkeley would advance for the shutout victory. 

Following the game's conclusion, Mr. Sy of Brooklyn, NY, and Dakar, Senegal; Mr. Cruz-Sepulveda of Guadalajara, Mexico; and Mr. Sugiyama of Mount Rainier, WA, were named to the USCAA All-Tournament team.

With the victory, Coach Zomopoulos, who had led the Knights to four Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships and four appearances in the USCAA Tournament, netted his 120th win in 11 years with Berkeley College.

To reach the Championship, the No. 1-seeded Knights defeated Penn State Brandywine on November 9, 2019, by a score of 2-0 at the Princess Anne Sports Complex in Virginia Beach, VA.

Click here to watch the full Championship game.

For more Athletics news, visit BerkeleyCollegeKnights.com.

About Berkeley College

Berkeley College is a career-focused institution accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education that offers students Master’s, Bachelor’s, and Associate’s degree and Certificate programs in more than 20 career fields. The College has campuses in Midtown Manhattan and White Plains, NY, as well as in Newark, Paramus, Woodbridge and Woodland Park, NJ, with more than 5,700 students enrolled. In addition, Berkeley College Online® serves a global population. U.S. News & World Report has named Berkeley College among the Best Colleges for Online Bachelor’s Programs and among the Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans, for six consecutive years. The website address is www.BerkeleyCollege.edu.

The mission of Berkeley College is to empower students to achieve lifelong success in dynamic careers.

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