The Montgomery County Community College Mustangs men’s soccer team finished the 2025 season adding an impressive feather to its cap. The team was crowned the Eastern Pennsylvania Athletic Conference champion, following a 6-1 victory over the Phantoms of Delaware County Community College, Thursday, Oct. 16.

The team finished the season with a 6-7-2 overall record, following a 4-0 loss to Middlesex College, Monday, Oct. 20. The Mustangs fell half a game short of competing in the National Junior College Athletic Association Region 19 playoffs.

The 2025 Mustangs included Logan Brock, Dilan Carrasco-Palma, Dylan Carter, Shible Chowdhury, Julio Evangelista Ascencion, Byron Gonzalez, Landon Goodison, Daniel Hurst, Liam Greth, Kristian Kachorov, Jake Luciani, Trinidad Maldonado, Zeloul Molla, Landon Neison, Benjamin Northern, Ethan O'Connell, Vincent Riccobono, Jordan Rodriguez, Justin Russell, Esdras Stif Delgado, Tensae Tedesse, Buck Versteeg and Len Versteeg.

The team’s chemistry this year was evident from the beginning, said team Captain Kristian Kachorov.

“We were a family,” said the 19-year-old Exercise Science and Wellness major from Royersford. “We could see that from day one. As a unit, the bond we had was from day one.”

During the preseason, the team routinely practiced three hours a day and was in the fitness center three times a week, he said.

“At the end of practice, I got the entire group together and asked if anyone wanted to put in extra work and hang around,” he said. “Then I noticed not one guy complained or left. Everyone was willing to put in extra work. It goes a long way toward building a team.”

Mustangs Head Coach Tom Haney said he was proud of his team for all it had accomplished.

“It was great group of guys to work with. A lot of youth,” he said. “As they got together, the team gelled. They worked as a unit. It was a great season to work with these guys.”

The focus each season isn’t just about getting the most wins on the record but also instilling lifelong values into the next generation of athletes, said Assistant Coach Kim Gerhart.

“We’re not just building soccer players. We’re here to shape young men to be ready to go forth in the future,” he said. “They will be able to progress to their next college, the work force and understand what it takes to work with individuals and build relationships. I’ve been doing this for a long time. It’s always been our goal to develop players, not just for the sport but in general to become really good people going into the work force, as they pursue their careers.”

Gerhart said Haney deserved special recognition for the team’s success.

“What Coach Haney has done in revitalizing the men’s soccer program is just unheard of in a lot of sports,” he said. “The time and effort he puts in— I put in a lot of hours, not as much as he puts in. He has gone out of his way to make the program reputable in Region 19.”

In addition to the players and coaches on the field, Haney gave special recognition to the employees behind the scenes, who helped make a difference this season including Kelly Dunbar, Director of Athletics and Campus Recreation, Nyere Miller Assistant Director of Athletics for Recruitment, Dr. Steven and Michael Baron, Psychology faculty members, Justin Glose, Fitness Center Manager, Joseph Schreiner, Supervisor of Grounds and Joshua Walters, Athletic Trainer.

A big reason for the success the team had this season came from recruiting new talent, which Haney noted is a year-round process. This season, 16 of the team’s 23 athletes were first-year students.

For Dunbar, the EPAC crown was payoff for the recruitment work the coaching staff started in the offseason and is a good foundation for future success. 

“The coaches do a really good job at recruiting,” she said. “That’s part of their success. All the hours they spend getting organized. Once the athletes get here, it’s planning and training and practice schedules and game schedules and strategy. So, I’m very proud of them as coaches and players.”

“It’s something I don’t think people recognize,” said Haney. “Probably over half of 1,700 hours put in are focused on recruiting talent, including meeting with families and tours of campus. Last year, we talked to about 80 students. Then we whittled it down to about 25 students. We deal with a lot of students at the last minute. For us, it’s how we recruit. We want a certain kind of player. We look for character, who can play soccer and be good students.”