College Athlete From Newark Nets Award For Soccer, Academic Skills

NEWARK, NJ — The United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) and Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association (HVIAC) recently recognized several Berkeley College student-athletes for their athletic and academic accomplishments during the 2023 soccer season.

The USCAA honored seven Berkeley College student-athletes during the 2023 USCAA Soccer National Tournament Banquet, held in Pittsburgh, PA. They included Lucas Zuleta of Newark, who earned Second Team All-American honors.

Other awardees included:

• Eddie Becirovic of Edison, NJ, All-Academic
• Victor Batista of Coral Springs, FL, First Team All-American
• Matthew Flores of Fair Lawn, NJ, All-Academic
• Suad Lukovic of Cedar Grove, NJ, First Team All-American and All-Academic
• Erik Roberts of Locust Grove, GA, All-Academic
• Yammir Yaffer of Old Bridge, NJ, All-Academic

“It was a terrific evening for our program, as seven of our student-athletes were recognized by the USCAA,” said Bruno Ferreira, head coach of the Berkeley College men’s soccer team.

“Countless hours have been put in by these student-athletes, as they continue to mature into fine young men, both on the field and academically,” Ferreira said.

Meanwhile, the HVIAC announced honors for nine Berkeley College student-athletes – also including Zuleta, who was named to the All-Conference First Team.

Others included:

• Victor Batista of Coral Springs, FL, All-Conference First Team
• Joseph Buel of Raeford, NC, All-Conference Second Team
• Marco DaSilva of Woodbridge, NJ, All-Conference Second Team
• Suad Lukovic of Cedar Grove, NJ, HIVAC Player of the Year and All-Conference First Team
• Allan Luna of Brooklyn, NY, All-Conference Second Team
• Ian Pallardel of Elizabeth, NJ, All-Conference First Team
• Michael Paredes of Arcos de Valdevez, Portugal, All-Conference Honorable Mention
• Esteban Pedrueza of Tandil, Argentina, HVIAC Tournament Most Valuable Player

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site. Don’t forget to visit the Patch Newark Facebook page.