New Haven, Conn. – It was another successful season on the pitch for the Albertus Magnus College men's soccer team in 2015. The Falcons finished the fall with an 11-9 overall and qualified for the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament as the No. 6 seed thanks to a 4-5 mark in league play.
In their 20th appearance in the conference tournament, the team upset third-seeded Saint Joseph's (Maine) and No. 2 seed Mount Ida en route to their second GNAC title appearance in the last four seasons. On the road at top-seeded Johnson & Wales in the conference championship, Albertus Magnus fell, 1-0, in windy conditions to end their impressive post-season run and season.
"The team had a tremendous season, culminating in a run to the GNAC Finals," Albertus Magnus men's soccer Head Coach Jim Bernardo said. "We played our best soccer towards the end of the season and it showed in the GNAC tournament. The team is committed and in a great position to make a run at a GNAC Championship next season. Our ultimate goal in 2016 is to earn an NCAA Tournament bid."
Following the year, the Falcons saw four players earn All-GNAC honors. Albertus Magnus placed one player on the first team, two on the second team and one on the third. Senior back and co-captain Austin Tomin (Hamden, Conn.) was named to the first team, while junior forwards Alex Zapata (Hamden, Conn.) and co-captain Alexis Garcia (West Haven, Conn.) earned second team honors. Junior midfielder Matt Mueller (Cheshire, Conn.) rounded out the list of honorees for Albertus Magnus with third team distinction. Sophomore back Alex Perez (Hamden, Conn.) represented the squad on the GNAC All-Sportsmanship Team.
The men's soccer team opened the year with four straight victories this past autumn. During that stretch, sophomore goalkeeper Griffin Volta (Orange, Conn.) recorded one shutout, made 13 saves and had goal-against average under 1.00. After back-to-back one-goal setbacks, the Falcons returned home and won their next two contests without surrendering a goal. In triumphs over Mitchell and Rivier, Volta and freshman goalkeeper Joe Russo (North Haven, Conn.) each had a clean sheet between the pipes. Russo's shutout against the Raiders in conference play was his collegiate debut.
On October 6, Russo stopped all three shots he faced en route to his second career shutout as Albertus Magnus blanked visiting Coast Guard, 2-0. Junior midfielder Ben Colter (Guilford, Conn.) and Garcia found the back of the net in the win for the Falcons.
Down the stretch at home, the team netted shutout victories in GNAC play against Lasell in overtime and Suffolk. Versus the Lasers with just over 90 seconds remaining in the second overtime period, Zapata scored the game-winning goal off a corner kick. Zapata stepped up to take the corner, launching a curving shot that bounced just inside the far post and beat a diving effort from the Lasell keeper. Against the Rams, four different Falcons potted markers en route to the team's ninth win of the year.
After dropping the final two games of the regular season, Albertus Magnus ran through the conference tournament with a pair of victories. In the GNAC Quarterfinals at No. 3 seed Saint Joseph's (Me.), Zapata scored the game-winning goal in overtime. After a missed opportunity by the Monks, a Falcon defender lofted a ball deep down the left side of the field to Zapata, who used some fancy footwork to find a shooting lane and scored a beautiful goal to end the contest in thrilling fashion for the visitors.
The sixth-seeded Falcons continued their run through the tournament a few days later with a thrilling 3-2 victory at No. 2 Mount Ida, as Zapata once again delivered the game-winning strike. Between the pipes, reigning GNAC Goalkeeper of the Week, Volta made seven saves, including three in the second half, to earn his eighth win of the autumn for Albertus Magnus.
The team's impressive run through the post-season came to end in the championship at the hand of top-seeded Johnson & Wales. Volta played well in defeat, making four saves and sophomore forward Justyn Broderick (Orange, Conn.) had a team-high three shots in the contest for the Falcons.
Zapata had a stellar season, leading the Falcons in goals (10), assists (4), points (24), shots on goal (36) and game-winning goals (5). Other offensive threats for Albertus Magnus during the year were Garcia, Mueller and Broderick. Garcia tied with Zapata for the team-lead with four helpers and added four goals. Mueller was second on the team with five markers, having scored in two of the final three games, while Broderick found the back of the net four times to go along with three assists during the fall.
Defensively, Tomin, Colter, junior Earl McCoy (Hamden, Conn.) and sophomore Alberto Aguillon (Trumbull, Conn.) anchored the backline for Albertus Magnus this season. As a unit, the Falcons surrendered just over one goal per tilt, while recording six clean sheets.
In net, Volta and Russo each saw significant time in 2015. In 14 games and over 1,200 minutes of action, Volta posted a 1.27 goals-against average with 55 saves and a .753 save percentage. During his second year on campus, he has amassed an 8-6 record to go along with a pair of shutouts. Russo was 3-3 during the autumn with an .848 save percentage, 0.80 goals-against average and 28 saves. The first-year netminder has registered a team-best three shutouts this season.
For the latest information on the men's soccer team and Albertus Magnus athletics, follow AMCAthletics on Twitter and visit AlbertusFalcons.com.
