Championship Lost, But Hopes Are Higher Than Ever

Design by Nafissatou Yattassaye

By Steven Hernandez

Championship Against Lehman

After a strong postseason run by the CCNY Beavers, the season came to an end at the 2025 CUNYAC Championship against Lehman College. The CUNY Championship game against Lehman College was a tight game with shots from both sides. After a tense back-to-back first half, the defensive stalemate came to an end after a game-winning shot during the 80^th minute. For CCNY, two starters were substituted in the second half, allowing Lehman to chip away at the deficit in the midfield. This deficit allowed Lehman to gain traction and score the winning goal. Lehman College emerged as the champion, but for the Beavers, this season was a set of lessons learned, which the championship reflected in their play. 

New Team, New Expectations

 The CCNY men's soccer team is currently encountering issues that most squads will face at some point. The fall soccer season gave CCNY a new chance to show its skills with many new players. City College Beavers had 18 new freshmen and nine senior players joining the team. This increase in new players enabled City College to expand its team and add new playmakers. The overall record for this season for CCNY’s men’s soccer team was two wins, 11 ties, and 6 losses, and the conference standings were two wins, three ties, and two losses. 

Despite the loss at the CUNYAC Championship, the results of this season were much higher than expected. Coach Roger Gonzales has been coaching at CCNY for only two seasons and needs more time with the players to develop better tactics and strategies. Coach Gonzales is no stranger to CCNY; he himself was part of the men’s soccer team during his time as a student, even being appointed as co-captain, and helped the Beavers gain the CUNY championship during his sophomore year in 2005. 

Many Challenges 

Currently, the men’s soccer team faces many challenges that hinder their ability to improve and increase their chances of winning the next championship. One of the main challenges is the chemistry of their players. With over half the team being first-year students, many of these players struggle to connect with their teammates. The Beavers were also riddled with injuries this season, including losing the main goalkeeper, Carlos Garcia, to a strained ACL early in the season and losing two vital midfielders in the final against Lehman. 

 While many seniors will be graduating in the spring, the new freshmen and sophomore players will be taking the mantle. In interviews with freshmen players Fausto Rodriguez and Milton Pingarron, they stated that the seniors will be missed as they consistently help the new members and pass on their skills. “They’ve been an inspiration to the team, and they’ve helped and guided us whether on the field or off the field,” said the midfielder, Rodriguez. With many new players this year, the men's soccer team had an uphill battle to get to know each other and understand each player's style in ways that would help the team. The rough start to the season reflected the lack of chemistry among these teammates, which only improved as the season progressed. Speaking with Senior Midfield Captain Aliou Ndiaye and Senior Goalkeeping Captain Carlos Garcia, they noted that there have been shortcomings during their time on the team. A lack of support from the staff and the student body was a noticeable aspect, Garcia stated. 

New Athletic Director

But hopes to change the views on the teams are on the horizon. The new athletic director at CCNY, Duane Bailey, has attended every soccer game since his admission to the college. Coach Gonzales plans to work with Bailey to secure better facilities for the team and allow the Beavers to play more games, including during the spring season. Both are planning to advertise the men’s soccer team to attract more eyes and student body support. “You don’t necessarily have to be part of the team to be part of the fanbase,” Coach Gonzales hopes to be able to work with Director Bailey to build profiles for the athletes, so that more students can know about them and give their support. Focusing on these aspects will increase support for the team, not just for the soccer players but also for the other teams within City College.

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Steven Hernandez is a freshman at City College, majoring in Mechanical Engineering. Specializing in sports reporting, he is currently following CCNY’s men’s soccer team with plans to follow more teams within the Beavers. Steven is also a full-time employee and a full-time student at City College.