Briarcliffe College Wins Men's Soccer USCAA Championship

Briarcliffe College men’s soccer team won the 2012 USCAA Men’s Soccer National Championships last week in Asheville, N.C. Led by head coach Rafael Morais, the team ended the season with a record of 13-1, making this their fifth visit to the USCAA National Championships in the past five years. Morais also led the team to victory in 2008.

“We are extremely proud of the team and our coaching staff for their hard work and perseverance it has taken to get to five consecutive years in the tournament and be finalist’s three times,” said Gina D’Amaro, Briarcliffe College Director of Athletics. “The men’s soccer team is a testament to the Briarcliffe commitment to athletic and academic excellence.”

At Briarcliffe, students are encouraged to pursue the complete college experience, including campus camaraderie and participation in extracurricular activities. The students on the men’s soccer team balance their athletic endeavors with academics and volunteerism, majoring in a number of academic areas including business management.

Briarcliffe capped off an emotional week with impressive performances against the Golden Bears, Penn College and SUNY-ESF. In the championship game, Briarcliffe jumped out to an early lead in the tournament with goals from Andres Zulauga and Giancarlo Luna before WVU Tech got on the board with a penalty kick. From there the vaunted Briarcliffe College defense, which entered the game having given up only six goals on the year, took over and secured Brarcliffe’s second ever USCAA Men’s Soccer National Championship.

The Bulldogs from Long Island, braved the aftermaths of Hurricane Sandy that devastated the Northeast, leaving behind family and friends many of whom are without power and have flooded homes. The Bulldogs were led in the tournament by Cifuentes, the 2012 Men’s Soccer Tournament MVP, All-Tournament Giancarlo Luna, All-Tournament Hector Guerrero, All-Tournament Andres Zulauga, and All-Tournament Troy Antonacci.