STANDISH, Maine – The New England Soccer Journal (NESJ) Best XIs have been announced and three #17/25 Saint Joseph's College men's players are among the 33 individuals listed on the three teams.
Junior goalkeeper Blake Mullen (Manchester, Conn.) and junior forward Brett Mattos (Mahopac, N.Y.) are on the First Team while junior defender Dalton Gaumer (Corona, Calif.) has garnered Second Team honors.
All three players have racked up multiple honors after leading the Monks to a 19-0-2 record, a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship, and an NCAA Tournament victory this fall.
Mullen started all 21 of the Monks' games and logged 1,796 minutes in goal while posting a 0.05 goals against average, a .981 save percentage, and 12 shutouts this fall. The 6'7 keeper established new NCAA Men's Soccer records for consecutive shutout minutes (1,706:09) as well as the single-season goals against average and save percentage marks and broke the Monks' career records for victories (39) and shutouts (28) during the 2017 campaign.
His growing list of postseason accolades includes First Team All-GNAC, GNAC Goalkeeper of the Year, NESJ Goalkeeper of the Year, and Second Team United Soccer Coaches All-New England bids.
Mattos scored 20 goals with 10 assists for 50 total points this fall and set new SJC single-season records for goals and points and broke the program's career record for goals (39), points (96), and game-winning goals (15) during his junior campaign. Mattos finished the season ranked second in the nation in points, fifth in goals, seventh in points per game (2.38), and ninth in goals per game (0.95).
The third-year starter was selected as the GNAC Offensive Player of the Year and earned First Team All-Conference and First Team United Soccer Coaches All-New England honors earlier this fall.
Gaumer led the Monks to one of the finest defensive seasons in collegiate soccer history, as the junior standout anchored a back line that posted the lowest goals against average (0.047) in NCAA Men's Soccer history while breaking the NCAA records for longest shutout streak (19 games) and consecutive shutout minutes (1,802:54).
He has been one of the most decorated defenders in New England this fall after receiving United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-America, United Soccer Coaches First Team All-Region, GNAC Defensive Player of the Year, and First Team All-GNAC accolades.
The Monks capped the regular season ranked 17th in the D3Soccer.com national poll and sixth in the United Soccer Coaches regional poll and led NCAA DIII Men's Soccer in goals against average (.047), won-lost-tied percentage (.952), and save percentage (.983). Saint Joseph's is also second in the nation in shots per game (22.76) and shots on goal per game (11.57), fifth in assists per game (2.95) and total assists (62), and sixth in points per game (9.33), total goals (67), and total points (196).
Under the watch of Head Coach Adrian Dubois, Saint Joseph's looks to resume the program's 21-game unbeaten streak when the team begins play next fall.
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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.
