General | 10/31/2022 9:05:00 AM
New York, New York - After capturing the program's 13th conference title in penalty kicks two weeks ago in the 2022 CUNYAC CC Men's Soccer Championship, five BMCC men's soccer players were selected to the 2022 NJCAA All-Region 15 team as announced by the coaches on Friday. Sophomore El Hadji Ady Gaye (Dakar, Senegal) and freshman Ademola Opesanwo (Bronx, New York) received All-Region First Team accolades, while Abdul Mumin Seidu (Bronx, New York) and Alassane Koroma (Abidjan, Ivory Coast) grabbed All-Region Second Team honors. Michel Mendoza (Brooklyn, New York) also grabbed All-Region 15 Honorable Mention and Carlos Auquilla (New York, New York) landed on the All-Region 15 Sportsmanship team.
Ady Gaye, the only returner from 2019, put together an outstanding sophomore campaign leading the Panthers with eight goals and 19 points in 11 starts while tying for second with three assists in 13 total appearances. The Dakar, Senegal native recorded three multi-goal games during the 2022 campaign, with two coming against CUNYAC opponents. He scored twice in a road win against Kingsborough C.C. on October 1, 2022. He also scored both goals in regulation during the 2022 CUNYAC CC Men's Soccer Championship against Queensborough C.C. on October 17, 2022, while registering his first career hat trick in a victory against Dutchess on October 4, 2022.
Ady Gaye saved his best performance for the postseason, taking his game up a notch when the Panthers needed it in the 2022 CUNYAC CC Men's Soccer Championship, posting a four-point effort with two goals with the first of the game in the 15th minute and the equalizer in the 69th minute. He finishes his career with 31 points, and his 13 career goals are tied eighth most in program history with Ryuichiro Yasuda.
Opesanwo posted an outstanding debut season at forward for the Panthers, burying a team-best three game-winning goals and seven goals total, which was second on the team. He also provided two assists, tied for third on the team. He started the season with a bang scoring four goals in the Panther's first four matches, with his best performance coming against CUNYAC opponent LaGuardia Community College posting his first career hat trick and career-high nine points. Five of his seven tallies came against CUNYAC opponents, as he scored the lone goal against Queensborough on September 20 and provided another marker against Kingsborough on October 1.
Seidu, an NJCAA Division III Goalkeeper of the Week, was the Panther's rock between the pipes this season, making 10 starts in 12 appearances with a team-best 81 stops, which is 14th in the nation and posting 1.22 goals against average, which was 15th in the country. His .844 save percentage was 11th in the nation as he put up a 6-4-2 record with two shutouts with 15 goals allowed which was also tied for 29th in the country. In addition, Seidu has recorded three double-digit save performances on the season with a career-high 18 in the Panthers regular-season finale against Suffolk CCand another 15 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 tying 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. on September 15 and Kingsborough CC on October 1.
Mendoza was a vital part of the Panther's backline making 12 starts in 13 contests.
Aquilla was named to the All-Region 15 Sportsmanship team and was crucial to motivating the Panthers this season. The third-generation BMCC men's soccer player was tops on the team with five assists with a season-high two assists against Orange County C.C. on October 11, 2022.
Below is the complete list of the 2022 All-Region 15 Team:
2022 All-Region 15 Player of the Year
Brandon Leal, Suffolk
2022 All-Region 15 First Team
Brandon Leal, Suffolk
Nikolas Vidal, Nassau
El Hadji Ady Gaye, BMCC
Jonathan Villacis, Nassau
Cristian Parra, Suffolk
Jairo Ulloa, Nassau
Rachid Cherif, Queensborough
Brian Rivas Torres, Nassau
Jan Lucas Steinmetz, Monroe-Bronx
Kaanturk Akgul, Suffolk
Ademola Opesanwo, BMCC
2022 All-Region 15 Second Team
Weedmerlyn Saintilus, Rockland
Anthony Gallardo, Queensborough
John Pavana, Queensborough
Angel Perez, Suffolk
Jason Otiniano, Westchester
Christian Yanes, Nassau
Abdul Mumin Seidu, BMCC
Hugo Barbeiro, Monroe-Bronx
Luke Augeri, Suffolk
Alassane Koroma, BMCC
Tom Hendrikson, Monroe-Bronx
2022 All-Region 15 Honorable Mention
Fernando Moran, Nassau
Michael Echeverria, Westchester
Ryan Rush, Suffolk
Luis Arevalo, Bronx
Dennis Sumba, Queensborough
Juan Henao, Monroe-Bronx
Michael Mendoza, BMCC
Joseph Portanova, Rockland
Akeem Alexander, Dutchess
Daniel Martinez, Orange
Jahaziel Jiminez, Dutchess
2022 All-Region 15 Sportsmanship Team
Alessandro Russo, Nassau
Melvin Cajamarca, Suffolk
Kenneth Ortiz, Queensborough
Freddy DePaz, Westchester
Carlos Auquilla, BMCC
Luis Chavez, Bronx
Donalson Alexis, Kingsborough
Ignacio Escamilla, Rockland
Sebastian Zamorski, Monroe-Bronx
Samuel Dennehy, Dutchess
Blake Ross, Orange
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).
