Bunker Hill Community College Men's Soccer Team Wins Regional Championship
Friday, November 19, 2010
The men’s soccer team at Bunker Hill Community College finished the season with a 10-5-1 record and, for the first time, won the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division 3, Region 21 championship. Following that victory, BHCC Head Coach and Science Professor Scott Benjamin was named Region 21 Head Coach of the Year for the fifth consecutive season.
“I am especially excited for Head Coach Scott Benjamin for winning Region 21 after making it to the finals for the past five years,” said Christopher Z. Jones, Coordinator of Athletics for the College. “This year was truly a monumental and historic season for men’s soccer. Bringing the regional championship trophy back to Boston is a true testament to his dedication and competitive spirit.”
The Region 21 victory took the Bulldogs to the NJCAA National Championship. The team lost 4-0 to Suffolk County (New York) Community College and defeated the College of Morris, from Randolph, New Jersey, 4-1. “Getting a taste of the National Championship only made us hungrier to try to finish higher next season,” said Benjamin. Bunker Hill Community College placed fifth in the national tournament and earned a ranking of tenth place nationally. Braima Samati, a student from West Africa, and Lenir Lima, from the Republic of Cape Verde, tied for team high scorer for the season with ten goals and seven assists each.
Benjamin expects players from this team to follow the now-familiar pattern and play varsity soccer at four-year colleges, including those in the more competitive Division 2. “Soccer has provided many of our students with motivation and a vehicle to access scholarships and educations they might otherwise not have had,” said Benjamin. “Our soccer players have done remarkably well, and we are very proud of them.”
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About Bunker Hill Community College
With more than 50 years of academic excellence, Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) is Massachusetts' largest community college, annually welcoming a diverse community of around 16,000 students. With campuses in Charlestown and Chelsea, BHCC extends its reach across several locations in Greater Boston. The College offers associate degrees and certificates, early college and dual enrollment, community education, corporate training, and industry-specific training programs. BHCC is celebrated for its diversity, boasting a student body where 65% identify as people of color and more than half are women. The College also embraces a global perspective, with over 600 international students representing 90 countries and conversing in more than 65 languages. Our commitment to diversity is further reflected in BHCC's designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI).