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Watch: 2019 CUNYAC Championship Highlights
Watch: 2019 CUNYAC Championship Ceremony

New York, New York | BMCC men's soccer scored twice in the final eight minutes, with the winner coming off the head of sophomore Domagoj Budimir-Bekan (Split, Croatia) in the 84th minute, in a thrilling 5-4 victory over defending champion and top-seeded Queensborough Community College in the 2019 CUNYAC/USS Community College Soccer Championship at the Metropolitan Oval in Maspeth, Queens on Tuesday night. The Panthers won their third CUNY title in the last four seasons and their 12th overall improving their record to 8-2-2, while the Tigers drop to 6-5.

Freshman Seydou Diallo (Brooklyn, New York) earned the 2019 CUNYAC Championship Most Valuable Player award after leading all scorers with three goals and one assist. Diallo buried two of his three tallies in the first half-both of them, putting the Panthers in front 2-1 and then 3-2 at halftime, while his hat-trick in the 83rd minute tied it up at 4-4.

To watch the postgame interview with Diallo and Head Coach Modou Seck, click here. 

Queensborough stomped on one immediately after the kickoff, when freshman forward Julian Cabanillas grabbed a loose ball off of a cross inside the box and put it behind Freshman goalkeeper Apelete Amehon (Kara, Togo West Africa) to make it 1-0. After freshman midfielder Mohammad Cisse (Bronx, New York) subbed into the action in the 15th minute, he would provide an offensive spark three minutes later in the 18th-minute drilling home an opportunity off of a cross from Diallo to tie the match at one-all.

Diallo gave the Panthers their first lead three minutes later, racing down the wing and putting a ferocious left-footed shot into the top right corner of the net in the 21st minute to put them ahead 2-1. Cabanillas responded a minute and a half later, blasting one into the left pocket of the cage to knot it up at 2-2. Diallo would use a diving header in the 35th minute to get his second marker of the match to put the Panthers up 3-2 at halftime.

Freshman forward Marlon Aranibar scored in the 52nd minute off a feed from sophomore forward Luis Flores to tie it up for a third time at 3-3. Queensborough retook the lead in the 60th minute when sophomore midfielder Boris Miranda headed home a corner-kick from freshman forward Christopher Rodas to put the Tigers back in front 4-3. 

BMCC would force the final four corner kicks of the match to allow themselves a chance at tying it up and stealing the lead late. The Panthers cashed in on their last two corners when Diallo tied it at 4 in the 82nd minute from freshman Kevin Auquilla (Brooklyn, New York), and Budimir-Bekan put away the game-winner in the 85th minute from Elhadji Ady Gaye (Dakar, Senegal) to win it 5-4. 

Amehon and Queensborough sophomore keeper Brayan Manzano both made four stops apiece. 

Up next, BMCC will now head to the Region XV Championship, beginning on Saturday. For information on the matchup, please visit BMCC Men's Soccer Schedule Page.