BUFFALO, NY – The United Soccer Coaches (USC) named their NCAA Division III All-Region teams with five Bengals earning recognition. Diego Rivera (East Meadow, NY/Cairo Durham) earned First Team recognition while Salvador Gomes (Lisbon, Portugal/Colegio de S. Thomas) earned a Second Team selection and the trio of Carson Smith (Big Flats, NY/Horseheads), Lesedi Sekhobo (Albany, NY/Shaker), and Tapiwa Mushonga (Johannesburg, South Africa/Hilton College) earned a spot on the Third Team.
 
Rivera posted a historic season for Buffalo State earning his third First Team All-Region recognition. Rivera also earned his third First Team All-SUNYAC selection following a historic season for the Bengals that also featured a second straight SUNYAC Offensive Player of the Year. Rivera led the conference and the country in points (60) and goals (26) which are both the most in a single season in program history. Rivera was also the first Bengal to win Offensive Player of the Year twice in his career (Bass Sarr earned the honor in 2016) and was also named to the SUNYAC All-Tournament Team.
 
Gomes earns his second All-Region recognition while also earning First Team All-SUNYAC for a second straight season with the Bengals. Gomes was part of stellar backline for the Bengals that posted ten shutouts across 20 games played. Gomes also added a pair of goals and a pair of assists.
 
Sekhobo caps-off a strong freshman campaign with his first All-Region selection as well as SUNYAC Rookie of the Year honors and a Second Team All-SUNYAC spot. Sekhobo posted a 12 point season with four goals and four assists while playing in all 20 games with 14 starts. Sekhobo was also the third player in program history to earn Rookie of the Year honors, joining Theo Pencic in 2018 and Abdi Salim in 2019.
 
Smith also earned his first All-Region status while also earning Second Team All-SUNYAC in his first season with Buffalo State. The junior transfer started in all but one game for the Bengals making 55 saves with a 0.63 goals against average, a .821 save percentage and nine shutouts. Smith was also named to the SUNYAC All-Tournament Team.
 
Rounding out the All-Region field for the Bengals is Mushonga who joins Sekhobo and Smith with his first All-Region selection. Mushonga scored three goals with three assists and was also part of the dominant Bengals' back line. Mushonga was named to the SUNYAC All-Tournament Team and was twice named Second Team All-SUNYAC.
 
Buffalo State finished their 2025 campaign with a record of 13-2-5 (5-0-4 SUNYAC) and earned a spot in the SUNYAC Championship for a second straight season.