Men's Soccer | 10/21/2022 12:10:00 PM
New York, New York - After an exciting start to the week with a thrilling victory in the 2022 CUNYAC CC Men's Soccer Championship by capturing the program's 13th conference title, several individual Panthers were rewarded for postseason honors as announced on Friday by the
City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNY)
. Sophomore
El Hadji Ady Gaye (Dakar, Senegal) was tabbed as the CUNYAC Player of the Year by the conference's coaches, while six of his teammates received Conference All-Star accolades, the program's most since the 2015 season. Freshman
Carlos Auquilla (New York, New York) landed on the sportsmanship team.
In addition to the major award winner Ady Gaye, freshmen Ademola Opesanwo (Bronx, New York), goalkeeper Abdul Mumin Seidu (Bronx, New York), Alassane Koroma (Abidjan, Ivory Coast), Michel Mendoza (Brooklyn, New York), Bodrul Alam (Bronx, New York), and Ibrahim Hussein (Bronx, New York) were all named CUNYAC All-Stars.
Ady Gaye currently leads the Panthers with eight goals and 19 points, while his three assists are tied for second. The Dakar, Senegal native recorded three multi-goal games this season, scoring twice at Kingsborough Community College, recording his first career hat-trick against Dutchess Community College, and scoring all two Panther goals in regulation during the 2022 CUNYAC Community Men's Soccer Championship.
On Monday, Ady Gaye took his game up a notch when the Panthers needed it in the CUNYAC Championship as his four-point effort (2 G), and the winning tally in PKs propelled him to being named 2022 CUNYAC Championship MVP. Ady Gaye scored the game's opening goal in the 15th minute and the equalizer in the 69th minute. Going into the Region 15 Men's Soccer tournament, he has netted 13 career goals which are currently tied for ninth-most in single-season history with Ryuichiro Yasuda.
Opensanwo had an outstanding debut season at forward for the Panthers burying seven goals second on the team and providing two helpers, which is tied for third on the team. He started off the season with a bang scoring four goals in BMCC's first four matches, with his best one coming against CUNYAC opponent LaGuardia Community College where he posted his first career hat trick and career-high nine points. Five of his seven goals came against CUNYAC opponents, as he scored the lone goal against Queensborough and provided another marker against Kingsborough C.C. on the road. Opensanwo also is the Panther's leader in game-winning goals with three.
Seidu, an NJCAA Division III Goalkeeper of the Week, was the Panther's rock between the pipes this season, stopping a team-high 76 shots and posting 1.17 goals against average and .854 % SV with a 6-4-1 record and two shutouts. In addition, Seidu has recorded three double-digit save performances on the season with a career-high 18 in the regular-season finale against Suffolk CC and another 15 saves in the 2022 CUNYAC CC Men's Soccer Championship.
Koroma was a major impact player in the midfield for BMCC this season, making 12 starts in 13 contests and tied for third with three goals for seven points while also adding a helper. Two of his three markers came against CUNYAC opponents, with a goal against Laguardia C.C. and Kingsborough C.C.. Alam, the team captain, and Mendoza were the key to the Panther's backline combining for 24 starts in 25 contests.
Hussein was a key contributor off the bench for BMCC when he was needed to net four goals, including two in a Region 15 victory over Rockland Community College on September 24. Two of his four goals were also game-winners which is second on the Panthers, and his 10 points are good for third.
Below is the complete list of the 2022 CUNYAC Community College Postseason Awards and All-Star Selections:
2022 CUNYAC Community College Men's Soccer Awards
Player of the Year: El Hadji Ady Gaye, BMCC
Rookie of the Year: Anthony Gallardo, Queensborough
Coach of the Year: Aziwoh Ayafor, Queensborough
Sportsmanship Award: Kenneth Ortiz, Queensborough
Sportsmanship Team: Carlos Auquilla, BMCC; Anthony Arevalo, Bronx; Donalson Alexis, Kingsborough
2022 CUNYAC Community College Men's Soccer All-Star Team
John Pavana, Queensborough
Ademola Opesanwo, BMCC
Luis Arevalo, Bronx
Ibrahim Hussein, BMCC
Saleel Eldin, Queensborough
Bodrul Alam, BMCC
Michel Mendoza, BMCC
Abdul Mumin Seidu, BMCC
Alassane Koroma, BMCC
Rachid Cherif, Queensborough
Malduin Aldaz, Queensborough
BMCC will look to carry this momentum into the Region 15 quarterfinals this Saturday, October 20th, at 1 p.m. against Westchester Community College in Valhalla, New York. For more information, head to the BMCC Men's Soccer Schedule Page.
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
The athletic program at Borough of Manhattan Community College encompasses a total of eight varsity teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level. For the latest news on the Panthers, please visit us at https://bmccathletics.com - The official site of BMCC Athletics. Follow the Panthers on Instagram (@bmcc_athletics) and Twitter (@BMCCAthletics), and Like Us on Facebook (BMCC Athletics).
