The USCAA announced its Division II men's soccer All-Americans on Thursday evening at the 2019 USCAA Soccer National Tournament Banquet at the Virginia Beach Convention Center in Virginia Beach, VA. Berkeley College's New York men's soccer team was well represented. Amadou Sy was selected at the Division II Player of the Year, and Sy, Dario Cruz-Sepulveda, and Jean-Gardy Derineau were tabbed as First Team All-Americans. Standout defender Benjamin Elvenes earned Second Team All-American honors, and Cruz-Sepulveda, Elvenes, and Tcharly Verna were announced as Scholar-Athletes.
"I am extremely proud of all of our student-athletes who earned honors on a National level," Head Coach Stavros Zomopoulos said following the banquet. "These young men work so diligently both on the pitch and in the classroom, and it's extremely gratifying to see their hard work pay off. This is a night that we will cherish, but we know that there are still three more victories we want to solidify. We are ready to give it our best shot in securing our first USCAA Division II National crown."
Sy earned Player of the Year recognition for his outstanding efforts during the 2019 season. The sophomore sensation led the USCAA with 27 goals and 60 points. Cruz-Sepulveda has earned a G.A.A. of 1.26, making 80 stops on the season, with a handful of those being penalty kicks. He has allowed just 21 goals in 18 matches played. Derineau has recorded 10 goals and five assists, Verna has netted 11 goals while registering a pair of helpers, and Elvenes has been the backbone of a Knights defense that has yielded just just 22 goals in 19 contests during this 2019 campaign.
Berkeley College New York will be in the "A" pool, taking on Southern Maine Community College on Friday, November 8, at 4:45pm, before battling Penn State Brandywine on Saturday, November 9, at 4:45pm. If the Knights are able to advance from the B pool, they will head to the title game on Monday afternoon, November 11 (4:00pm), where they will take on the winner of the "B" pool – either Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte, Berkeley College (New Jersey), and Penn State Beaver.
