STANDISH, Maine – The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) men's soccer postseason honors have been released and eight Saint Joseph's College players have earned accolades.
Senior Mike Sheridan (Folsom, Pa.) headlines the SJC honorees as the GNAC Goalkeeper of the Year, an award that has been bestowed upon the Monks' starting netminder for six-consecutive seasons. Two-time All-American Blake Mullen '19 was named as the conference's top keeper in 2016, 2017 and 2018 and David Walbridge '21 earned the same honor in 2019 and 2021.
Sheridan and grad student Austin Ward (Exeter, N.H.) have earned First Team All-Conference honors while grad Kyle Cocciardi (Manchester, N.H.), sophomore Rion Dos Santos (São Paulo, Brazil) and junior Will Wood (Franklin, N.H.) are Second Team selections. Sophomore Gus Ford (Falmouth, Maine) is listed on the Third Team while freshmen Henry Wylde (Perth, Western Australia) and Ethan Emata (Nashua, N.H.) are All-Rookie Team honorees.
As a first-year starter, Sheridan posted a 0.79 goals against average with 47 saves, a .770 save percentage, and five shutouts while logging 1594 minutes during the 2022 campaign. In conference play he led all GNAC netminders in fewest goals allowed (4), goals against average (0.37), save percentage (.857), and victories (10).
Ward capped his college career by posting his finest season with personal highs in goals (16), points (37), PK goals (5), and game winners (4) in 19 contests. He ranked second in the GNAC in goals, points, and game clinchers in 2022 and, for his career, netted 37 goals with 18 assists for 92 total points with nine game winners in 79 games.
The three-year team captain leaves Saint Joseph's ranked among the program's career leaders in points (2nd), points per game (1.16, 2nd), goals (3rd), goals per game (0.46, 3rd), shots (203, 3rd), game winners (4th), and assists (5th).
Cocciardi collects Second Team All-Conference honors for the second-consecutive season after tallying a goal and an assist for three total points in 17 games as a versatile midfielder this fall. The third-year starter played in 44 games with 38 starts since arriving on campus in the fall of 2018.
Dos Santos, a 2021 First Team All-GNAC choice, claims Second Team honors this fall after netting three goals with two assists for eight points in 18 contests as a sophomore midfielder. The sophomore standout potted a pair of game winners this season with clinchers in consecutive victories over GNAC rivals Lasell University and Rivier University on October 15th and 19th, respectively.
Wood, a sophomore transfer from NCAA DI program University of Albany, played a huge role in the Monks' success this fall. The outside back tied for the team lead with five assists and added a goal for seven total points while starting all 19 games in his first season at Saint Joseph's.
Ford takes home Third Team All-GNAC honors after netting seven goals with two assists for 16 total points as a sophomore forward. He ranked second on the team in goals and points and scored a pair of game winning tallies during the 2022 campaign.
Wylde and Emata have earned GNAC All-Rookie Team accolades after making the most of their opportunities during the 2022 season. Wylde scored two goals with an assist for five total points in 16 games and was chosen as the GNAC Rookie of the Week on October 11th. Emata added six points with three goals in 10 contests as a freshman. Both players will likely play major roles in the program's continued success going forward.
Under the watch of fourth-year Head Coach Will Pike '11, Saint Joseph's posted a 13-5-1 overall record with an 11-1-0 mark in GNAC play during the 2022 season. As the top seed in the conference tournament the Monks blanked #8 Anna Maria College, 4-0, in a GNAC quarterfinal on October 29th, but the season ended abruptly three days later with a 2-0 loss at the hands of eventual conference champion University of Saint Joseph.
