STANDISH, Maine – The Saint Joseph's College men's soccer team held its annual team awards banquet at Pearson's Café on Saturday, February 25th. A total of 12 awards were bestowed upon nine individuals and third-year Head Coach Adrian Dubois also honored the 2016 team's 14 Dean's List recipients and three All-Conference honorees.
Over 120 people were in attendance for the event, which was kicked off by a season highlight video created by senior Daniel Malone (Laconia, N.H.) and featured speeches by each of the team's coaches, a dinner, and gifts – new Nike men's soccer jackets – for the seniors.
The theme of the banquet was not to have ordinary players, not to be ordinary students, not play ordinary football, but to plan on being extraordinary as a player, student, and person.
The fourteen Dean's List honorees included Sean Baker (Medfield, Mass.), Austin Bell (Gorham, Maine), Mitchell Cyr (Rochester, N.H.), Mitchell Duncan (Sanford, Maine), Cody Elliott (Gorham, Maine), Daniel Fox (South Portland, Maine), Brennan Goodrich (Essex Junction, VT), Zack Gryskwicz (Standish, Maine), Ryan Guidaboni (Nashua, N.H.), Justin Karageorge (North Smithfield, R.I.), Nicholas Seta (Hampton, N.H.), James Stevens (Marshfield, Mass.), Kartikeya Swarup (Delhi, India), and Keenan Welzel (Brunswick, Maine).
The 2016 Most Developed Award goes to freshman defender Ryan Buonaiuto (Scituate, R.I.). Buonaiuto made great strides this season and started the final seven games of the season for the Monks.
Sophomore Mitchell Cyr (Rochester, N.H.) won the 2016 Unsung Hero Award. Cyr played a key role in the defensive effort for the Monks, who held opponents scoreless for eight consecutive games in the middle of the season. Cyr tallied 19 shots out of the backfield as well as an assist.
The 2016 Golden Glove Award goes to sophomore keeper Blake Mullen (Manchester, Conn.). Mullen started 22 games last fall, winning 15. He posted a 0.34 goals against average, which ranked second in the nation.
Sophomore Dalton Gaumer (Corona, Calif.) was selected as the 2016 Defensive Player of the Year. Gaumer anchored the Monks defense, which ranked first in the GNAC in goals-against-average. He also notched three goals and one assist. Gaumer was a First Team All-Conference selection.
Freshman JoJo Strobino (Clifton, N.J.) has earned the 2016 Silver Boot Award, an honor bestowed annually upon the Monks' assists leader. Strobino tallied seven assists as well as two goals. He played an important role in the midfield for the Monks, and his effort earned him a First Team All-Conference honor.
The 2016 Golden Boot Award, given annually to the team's leading goal scorer is shared by sophomore Brett Mattos (Mahopac, N.Y.), and Austin Bell (Gorham, Maine) who netted six goals apiece. Mattos also chipped in six assists to garner First Team All-Conference honors. Bell notched the program's fourth hat-trick and its first since 2013 in a game on October 29th.
The coveted Balloon d'Ore Award, given to the team's Most Valuable Player – both on and off the field – went to sophomore midfielder Rory Twomey (South Windsor, Conn.). Twomey, a highly skilled player, started every game for the Monks while controlling play in the midfield. Twomey was named Second Team All-Conference.
In 2016, Saint Joseph's College posted a 15-2-6 overall record with an 8-0-1 mark in conference play en route to earning the top seed in the GNAC Tournament. In the postseason, the Monks defeated Mount Ida and Suffolk to advance to the championship game and defeated Norwich in PK's to clinch an NCAA Tournament berth for the third time in team history. St. Joe's proceeded to make program history with the team's first NCAA tourney triumph, a PK victory over Babson College, before falling to Brandeis University – a team that advanced all the way to the NCAA Semifinals – by a 3-0 score.
The 2016 campaign was arguably the finest season in the 27-year history of the Saint Joseph's men's soccer program. The 2016 side set new team records for most wins, fewest losses, most ties, highest winning percentage, longest winning streak (8), longest undefeated streak (20), shutouts (16), consecutive shutouts (8), and goals against average (0.41).
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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 474-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.