STANDISH, Maine – The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) has released the 2019 women's soccer postseason accolades and five Saint Joseph's College players have been honored.
Sophomore Adia Grogan (Kennebunk, Maine) headlines the list for the Monks after being selected as the GNAC Goalkeeper of the Year and is joined on the First Team by senior midfielder Jade Jordan (Baldwin, Maine) and junior midfielder McKenzie Murphy (West Baldwin, Maine). Senior defender Peggy Balboni (Millis, Mass.) and sophomore forward Kayley Mattos (Mahopac, N.Y.) have garnered Second Team All-Conference accolades.
In 20 starts this season Grogan posted a 13-4-3 record with three shutouts and a 0.88 goals against average. She allowed 18 goals with 117 saves in 1,833 minutes for an .867 save percentage as a second year starter and led the conference in minutes, goals against average and save percentage and was second in victories and third in saves.
In two seasons, the two-time All-GNAC honoree has played in 40 games with a 28-8-3 record and nine shutouts while posting a 1.06 goals against average. In 3,571 minutes between the pipes Grogan has registered 221 saves while allowing 42 goals, numbers that account for a stellar .840 save percentage.
Jordan, a three-time All-Conference selection, garners First Team acclaim for the first time after starting all 20 games with a pair of assists during her senior season. An athletic and heady midfielder, the second-year team captain was a key player for the Monks in the heart of the pitch during her four years and capped her career having played in 78 games with a goal and two assists.
Murphy, a Third Team All-Conference selection last fall, collects First Team honors after leading the team in goals (10), assists (6), points (26), shots (66), and shots on goal (36) during her junior campaign. In three college seasons the junior captain has tallied 17 goals and 11 assists for 45 total points in 61 games.
Balboni earns the first All-Conference honor of her career after enjoying a fine season as an outside back for the Monks. The third-year starter served as a shutdown defender and often effectively locked heads with the opponents' top outside threat. For her career, Balboni played in 76 games and was credited with six assists.
Mattos also claims her first All-Conference nod after netting four goals – including a pair of game-winners – with two assists for 10 total points this fall. The sophomore forward missed a section of the season due to an injury, but the SJC offense received an instant spark when she returned and posted a 7-0-1 record in her first eight games back on the field. In two seasons Mattos has registered seven goals and three assists for 17 total points in 33 career games.
Under the watch of seventh-year Head Coach Jenelle Harris, the Monks posted a 14-4-3 overall record with a 9-2-1 mark in GNAC play en route to claiming the #2 seed in the conference tournament for the second-consecutive season. The 2018 GNAC Champions advanced to the conference title bout after topping USJ in PK's in the quarterfinal and edging Emmanuel, 2-1, in semifinal action but their bid to repeat as GNAC champs was thwarted by top-seeded Johnson & Wales, who defeated the Monks by a 2-1 score in the title contest on Saturday.
The GNAC Championship setback signaled the end of college soccer for the program's six seniors: Olivia Alesio (Schenectady, N.Y.), Cori Balam (Lyndeborough, N.H.), Peggy Balboni (Millis, Mass.), Hannah Butler (Melrose, Mass.), Jade Jordan (Baldwin, Maine), and Hailey Tarr (Eliot, Maine). This senior class has helped Saint Joseph's post a 53-21-7 (.654) overall record, including a 32-9-5 (.696) mark in GNAC play, as well as the program's first GNAC Championship last fall.