STANDISH, ME - The Saint Joseph's College men's soccer team has high aspirations heading into the new season, as the side aspires to complete one of the most difficult tasks in sports: win back to back championships.
The Monks, winners of two Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) crowns over the last three seasons, went 14-6 overall and 7-3 in conference play en route to claiming a conference championship and subsequent NCAA Tournament berth last fall. Head Coach Steve Babineau, now in his fourth season at the helm, has been in place for both titles.
"We are defending champs, but that was last year and this is a new year," adds Coach Babineau. "We have 13 new guys - it's a clean slate and starting from the ground up. We need to do a lot of things right to get into the GNAC Tournament and hopefully get to the championship game, but we all understand that we have a bull's eye on our back."
Although the Monks have a bevy of newcomers, the side is not lacking in veteran leadership. St. Joe's returns eight starters, including First Team All-GNAC honorees Zach Johnson (Westbrook, Maine) and Teddy Palmer (Scarborough, Maine) and Third Team selections Jack LaFreniere (Alton, N.H.) and Dan McIntyre (Sparta, N.J.).
Johnson enjoyed a breakout season in his first year with the Monks. A transfer from conference-rival Lasell College, the sophomore forward broke the SJC single-season goals (17) and game-winning goals (8) records and tallied 38 points overall. Palmer, a senior midfielder, netted a goal and two assists while roaming the heart of the pitch while LaFreniere, a senior, and McIntyre, a junior, helped lock down the back line.
Other key returners include senior back Joe Murphy (Poland, Maine), junior netminder Kenny Grade (Hampton, N.H./St. Thomas Aquinas), junior forward Ross Suleski (Amesbury, Mass./St. Thomas Aquinas), and sophomore midfielder Jason Wade (South Hampton, N.H.).
The list of newcomers includes goalkeepers Scott Benner (Post Falls, Idaho) and Austin Watts (Westbrook, Maine) and midfielders Cole Milazzo (Richmond, Vt.), Jeff DeGrenier (Jaffrey, N.H.), Colby Main (Jericho, Vt.), Paulo Lopes (Gloucester, Mass.), Ralph Houanche (Portland, Maine), John Strandburg (Waterboro, Maine), and Cody Snyder (Bath, Maine).
Incoming backs include Connor Dufour (Augusta, Maine), Mitch Mendonca (St. Albans, Maine), Brett O'Kelly (Portland, Maine), and Nate Fox (South Portland, Maine).
If the Monks are to make a run at another GNAC Championship this fall, they will do so without the help of a fine 2012 graduating class, which included key contributors in Mike Sanfilippo, Zak Hollingshead, Jesse West and Nick Lemieux.
The 2012 campaign kicks off in just a few days, as Saint Joseph's is set to begin the year with a pair of matches in the USM Soccer Classic this weekend. Play begins with a 1:30 PM match versus tourney-host University of Southern Maine on Friday and concludes on Saturday with a contest against Mass.-Dartmouth at 2:00 PM.
The 2012 home-opener takes place on Saturday, September 8th against GNAC-rival Johnson & Wales University. Kick-off is slated for 1:00 PM.
