STANDISH, Maine – The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) men's soccer postseason honors have been released and three Saint Joseph's College players have earned recognition.
Senior back Garrett Darnell (Gray, Maine) and sophomore midfielder Jack Murray (Hingham, Mass.) have collected Second Team All-GNAC accolades while freshman forward Austin Bell (Gorham, Maine) has received Third Team All-GNAC mention. The All-GNAC honor is a career-first for all three players.
Darnell, a team captain, was one of the Monks' most consistent and influential players this fall. Originally a midfielder, he played up top briefly before settling in on the backline in a move that fortified the SJC defense. Darnell, who netted his first collegiate goal this season, was one of just three Saint Joseph's players to start all 20 games during the 2014 campaign.
Murray collects All-Conference honors for the first time after scoring two goals with a pair of assists for six total points during his sophomore season. With a knack for scoring big goals, Murray was an important and reliable player in the midfield for the Monks all season and will play a large role in the side's future successes.
Bell emerged as the Monks' top offensive threat during his freshman campaign and led the team with five goals and 11 total points this fall. Selected as the GNAC Rookie of the Week on September 8th, Bell looks to be a centerpiece for the Monks to build around as the first-year forward develops into one of the elite players in the conference over the next three seasons.
Under the guidance of first-year Head Coach Adrian Dubois, the Monks went 5-15-0 overall and 3-6-0 in conference play en route to securing the #8 seed in the GNAC Tournament. Saint Joseph's faced top-seeded Johnson & Wales University in a tourney quarterfinal and suffered a hard fought 2-0 loss at the hands of the eventual GNAC Champion Wildcats on Friday, October 31st.
Follow Saint Joseph's Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram!
Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 430-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.
