Soccer Team Has One Goal: A National Title
PARAMUS, N.J. – Next stop, nationals.
The Bergen Community College Bulldogs men’s soccer team punched its ticket to the 2025 NJCAA Division III Men's Soccer National Championship with a 2-0 upset victory in the Region 19 East Region B title game on October 31 over No. 3 seed Camden County College.
As Region 19 East Region B champion, the Bulldogs will now travel to Wehrum Stadium on the campus of Herkimer Community College in Herkimer, New York for the national tournament. Three seed Bergen will meet six seed Northern Essex Community College on Wednesday, November 12 at 6:30 p.m. in the eight-team single elimination tournament. The Bulldogs will need to win three games in order to wear the national crown. Bergen’s Jonathan Sanchez, Region 19 Coach of the Year, said the Bulldogs will embrace the opportunity.
“This group has shown heart, discipline and an unwavering commitment to each other,” he said. “To bring Bergen back to the national stage after so many years is a tremendous accomplishment, and I couldn't be prouder of our players.”
Bergen last competed in the national tournament in 2016. Director of Athletics Erin Van Nostrand said the team has made the College proud.
“This group has shown resilience, discipline and pride in representing Bergen Community College,” she said. “This championship reflects the growth and strength across all of Bergen’s athletic programs. It showcases the culture we’ve been building - one centered on accountability, teamwork and academic and athletic excellence. Our teams are not only competing but thriving, and this victory is an example of what’s possible when student-athletes, coaches and staff all buy into that shared vision.”
The Region 19 East Region B champion Bulldogs (14-3-1) arrive at the nationals riding a winning streak that spans nearly two months, including the victory over 10-time region champion Camden in the title game. Bergen reached the finals after dispatching Brookdale Community College 5-0 in the tournament’s first round. Players such as winger Jonathan Remache believe the results reflect a season-long commitment to excellence.
“We’ve been locked in from the beginning,” he said. “We have a strong bond together, and I feel like we’re confident.”
Bergen striker Onur Can won Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament honors for notching three goals in two games enroute to the region title. Can has paced Bergen’s offense throughout the year, totaling 13 goals and five assists. He ranks twelfth in the country in goals scored.
Based in Paramus, Bergen Community College (www.bergen.edu), a public two-year coeducational college, enrolls more than 14,000 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.
Photo caption: The national tournament-bound 2025 Bergen Bulldogs soccer team.