The Mercer County Community College 1988 National Championship men’s soccer team entered the preseason with a large chip on their shoulder after having been painfully ousted at home in the National Semifinals the year before 1-0 by Massassoit (MA).
The Vikings returned eight starters from a team that went 23-1 in the previous year. Mercer added three key newcomers: leading scorer Leandro Henrique, midfield anchor Patrick Kamzol and central defender Craig Mendel, along with a deep bench which proved to be pivotal in the championship run.
Key returning players included Co-Captain Terry Pryer, who earned All-American honors as a striker and goalie Bill Andracki, who also earned All-American honors, posting 17 shutouts on the year. Simon LeChalmers helped anchor the midfield, Theo Allotey added speed and skill and left midfielder Mark Grattan all contributed to the potent Mercer offensive attack.
The Mercer defense was led by central defender Steve Kerr, left back Greg McGann and the attacking minded Alex Moore.
Mercer began the 1988 campaign winning the prestigious Ulster Classic and reeled off 14 consecutive victories before encountering a 1-1 draw at arch rival Essex (Md.), a team the Vikings had defeated in the opening round of the National Tournament in 1987.
Despite launching 40 shots on goal, MCCC needed overtime to pull out a 2-0 win against Delaware Tech in the opening round of the Region 19 Tournament. It proved to be a wakeup call the Vikings would need, as Mercer captured a 2-0 Semifinal victory against Essex. In the Region 19 Final, Mercer held on to a 1-0 lead against a talented Passaic CC squad until 7:33 left when Leandro Henrique notched his second goal of the match on an assist from Doug Moore to give Mercer a 2-0 win and the Region 19 title. Next stop was the National Championship at, Mercer, against Massasoit.
Despite pounding the Massasoit goal for most of the first half, the National Championship quarterfinal remained deadlocked (0-0) at the half. On a rain soaked field in front of an overflow home crowd, Greg McGann sent a diagonal cross at the 55:37 mark to Paulinus Louis who had just entered the game. Louis sent a thundering header home for a 1-0 lead and Mercer went on to defeat Massasoit 3-0. In the National Semifinals the Vikings scored early and often in a 6-0 defeat of Andrew (Ga.) setting up the Sunday championship match against upstart Pima (Az.)
Mercer played its usual possession style but under heavy rain and a sloppy field, scoring would be difficult. Mercer assaulted the Pima goal but had nothing to show for their efforts as overtime loomed. With just 5:18 remaining, Alex Moore sent the rebound from a free kick across the Pima box and Allotey headed it in the net. Mercer was able to hold on to the 1-0 victory, its sixth straight post season shutout, for the National Championship.
The Mercer County CC men’s soccer team not only won a National Championship but the squad set a precedent for academic achievement. Twenty one Viking players went on to receive a four year degree with many earning soccer scholarships.
The 1988 team has not been reunited in a long time. Members of the squad currently live in seven different countries and nine different states. The close bond created still remains as 21 members of the championship team plan on attending the 2024 MCCC Athletic Hall of Fame Induction.
To learn more about the 2024 MCCC Athletic Hall of Fame or about previous Hall of Fame classes, visit: https://www.mccc.edu/athletics_hof.shtml