During the fall semester, the City University of New York Athletic Conference will look back at some of its historic fall championship teams, recognizing the rich tradition of athletic excellence by the league’s 13 member institutions.
The 2005 Borough of Manhattan men’s soccer team is one of the most memorable teams in the history of the City University of New York Athletic Conference.
The Panthers were coming off a successful campaign the season prior, winning their first conference championship since 2001 and making it to the semifinals of the NJCAA Region XV Tournament, where they suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat to Ulster in overtime. It was that loss that fueled BMCC to one of its best seasons in program history.
Led by head coach
Kenichi Yatsuhashi, BMCC had a six-win improvement in 2005 (15-2-2), going unbeaten against CUNYAC opponents for a second straight season. To date, BMCC’s 15 victories are the most in a single season in league history.
Four Panthers garnered CUNYAC and Region XV All-Star accolades, led by sophomore
Nizar Chahbani, who became just the third Panther in team history to earn All-America status (Second Team). Also earning league and region citations were
Jerry Boetang Bekoe (First Team),
Jean Phillipe (First Team) and
Elysee Vilsaint (Second Team).
BMCC opened Region XV Tournament play with a 2-0 verdict over Dutchess, followed by a 3-0 win over Suffolk in the semifinals to set up a final with Ulster. In the rematch of last season’s semifinal, the Panthers scored four goals, fueled by a first-half hat trick from Bekoe, posting a 4-1 victory to win the Region XV championship, securing the program’s first-ever trip to the NJCAA Championships.
In the NJCAA Division III Men’s Soccer District Championship game, after conceding an early goal, the Panthers scored five unanswered times for a 5-1 win over Manchester (CT), advancing to the NJCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Tournament Final Four.
BMCC drew three-time defending NJCAA Division III champion Richland (TX) in the national championship semifinals at Wehrum County Community College. The two teams battled to a 1-1 draw following 90 minutes of regulation time and 20 minutes of overtime. The match came down to penalty kicks, and the Ducks went on to win the shootout by a 5-3 margin.
The Panthers bounced back in the consolation round, defeating Ann Arundel 1-0 for a third-place finish in the nation.
To date, BMCC has captured 12 CUNYAC Championships, the most in the conference, including the league title in 2019.
#CUNYAC Fall Throwback Series