The men’s soccer team repeated as Region XIX champion.
PARAMUS, N.J. – For the first time in its history, the road to three National Junior College Athletic Association Division III Region XIX championships in fall sports – men’s soccer, women’s cross-country and men’s cross-country – went through Bergen Community College this year. The institution has also tied its record for region championships earned in the same academic year. If a Bergen winter or spring sport team wins a region title, it will eclipse the mark for same-year championships set in 1978-79.
“We had two fall region champions last year – and we had never done that before,” Managing Director of Athletics Jorge Hernandez said. “So, to have three championship teams in the fall season is not only unprecedented, but a testament to the dedication of our student-athletes and coaches and the College’s support of athletics. It’s exciting to think we can set the school mark for region titles in an academic year with both the winter and spring seasons still to go.”
For men’s soccer, a 1-0 win over No. 2 seed Rowan College at Gloucester County ensured the Region XIX crown stayed in Bergen’s trophy case for a second consecutive year and punches a ticket to the national tournament Nov. 10-13 in Herkimer, New York. The team defeated Harrisburg Area Community College and Brookdale Community College en route to its back-to-back championship.
Individual honors went to: Fredy Herrera, of Hackensack, who repeated as Region XIX coach of the year; goalkeeper Brian Sanchez, of Teaneck, who posted three shutouts to earn defensive player of the tournament honors; and midfielder Brahyan Tabares, of Englewood, who earned offensive player of the tournament recognition.
Meanwhile, the women’s cross-country team won its first region title since 1989 on the strength of Justine Conca’s first place finish in the closing meet. Conca, of Nutley, also earned first-team all-region and all-Garden State Athletic Conference honors. Amanda Duran, of Hackensack, earned first-team all-region recognition.
The men’s cross-country team repeated as region champion behind Christopher Loughman, of Cliffside Park, who finished in fifth place at the meet and earned both all-region and –conference honors.
The region coach of the year in both women’s and men’s cross country, Deana Dedovitch, of Carlstadt, will lead the teams to Canandaigua, New York, for the national tournament Nov. 12.
Based in Paramus, Bergen Community College (www.bergen.edu), a public two-year coeducational college, enrolls 15,000 students at locations in Paramus, the Philip Ciarco Jr. Learning Center in Hackensack and Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands in Lyndhurst. The College offers associate degree, certificate and continuing education programs in a variety of fields. More students graduate from Bergen than any other community college in the state.
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