CCNY’s men’s soccer team celebrates its 2015 CUNYAC title victory over the College of Staten Island, Nov. 7. The Beavers are headed for the NCAA tournament.
The City College of New York men’s soccer team’s reward for clinching its first City University of New York Athletic Conference title in 10 years is an NCAA first round knockout game with host SUNY Oneonta at upstate’s Red Dragon Field on Saturday, Nov. 14 at 11 a.m.
CCNY (11-7-0) qualified for the NCAA Division III tournament with a 2-1 extra time win over the College of Staten Island in the CUNYAC championship match on Nov. 7.
Coach Roberto Ignaccolo said his scholar-athletes relish the challenge against Oneonta, a powerhouse in the SUNY conference.
“They are a very strong team but we are looking forward to it,” he said. “Playing in the NCAA is a great experience for my players to go with their studies.”
His standouts include team captain Abdul Rashid Abdulai, a junior and a biology major who plays in midfield, and Maxwell Berkow, winner of best goalie honors in both the CUNYAC and ECAC.
Overall, the Beavers have a collective GPA of 3.2. Nine of the 21 players on the roster are from the Grove School of Engineering and the team’s diversity reflects that of CCNY. Only Berkow lists a U.S. hometown, with the rest from as far-flung places as Berlin, Athens, Lahore (Pakistan), Kumasi (Ghana), Tipperary (Ireland) and Mexico City.
About The City College of New York
Since 1847, The City College of New York has provided low-cost, high-quality education for New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. More than 16,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in: the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; the Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture; the School of Education; the Grove School of Engineering; the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, and the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership. U.S. News, Princeton Review and Forbes all rank City College among the best colleges and universities in the United States.