MAYS LANDING – The Atlantic Cape Community College Buccaneers men’s soccer team has started its 2026 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 19 season on August 25 with a completely overhauled roster filled with freshman student–athletes, and depth up and down the field.
Head Coach Luis Paz is proud of the progress that the program made in its fourth year in 2025, despite finishing with a 3-12-1 record. Competing against talented Region 19 squads, three of which are ranked in the top–10 nationally, gives his Buccaneers a worthwhile challenge to tackle moving forward.
“Last season was our most competitive season to date. I felt it was a step in the right direction. We were able to recruit 18 players in one season, which was the most we had recruited until this season,” said Paz.
In 2026, the Buccaneers are returning one student–athlete to the team, sophomore center–back and Egg Harbor Township resident Jancarlos Bados, who was named a 2025 NJCAA Region 19 Division III Second Team All-Region honoree.
Paz is counting on Bados to once again anchor the team’s back line of defense as the Buccaneers strive to build upon their momentum from last year.
“I am very excited for this season because we really focused on not only recruiting good players, but who are also good students who come to us with good high school GPAs. This year we even recruited some out–of–state players to boost our squad and give the team more exposure,” said Paz, who is joined this year by assistant coaches Chase Spencer and Mason Somers.
With a roster full of potential, freshman student–athlete and Cedar Creek High School graduate Jarion Gomez, who took a gap year in 2025 to enlist in the military, had tremendous interest from other colleges. Now a year older and wiser, Paz is convinced that Gomez may become one of the team’s best players in 2026.
Keeping the ball of their net falls to the hands and athleticism of freshman goalkeeper Emil Draka. Paz feels that Draka may be this team’s missing piece, thus being the difference between a win or a loss.
Depth within the team’s starting 11 players gives Paz the ability to create a healthy competition for playing time amongst his student–athletes. He also hopes to instill a winning mindset that will give his team the confidence to close out games in the second half, while also remaining cognizant of their bodies as the season wears on.
“A lot of times players do not stay mindful of their bodies and towards the end of the season injuries start to happen and can deplete our roster’s depth,” said Paz, who believes his Buccaneers have what it takes to fight for a playoff spot while also building a foundation for years to come.
Good luck, Buccaneers!
Visit atlanticcape.edu/menssoccer for schedule, game results, roster and coaches’ information.
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About Atlantic Cape Community College
Established in 1964, Atlantic Cape Community College is a Middle States-accredited, Hispanic-serving institution proudly serving the residents of Atlantic and Cape May counties. As a comprehensive, two-year community college, Atlantic Cape offers more than 50 undergraduate degree programs and 34 certificate and workforce development professional series programs at its Mays Landing, Atlantic City, and Cape May campuses. Atlantic Cape is home to the renowned Academy of Culinary Arts, rated the top culinary school in New Jersey, and to its highly acclaimed Nursing program for more than 60 years. Atlantic Cape also partners with more than 30 colleges and four-year universities to offer students the opportunity to seamlessly earn a bachelor’s degree upon graduation.
