Anderson Named To First Team, Four Blue Jays Earn All-GNAC Honors
WINTHROP, Mass. - Four members of the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) men's soccer team were named All-Conference for the 2019 season headlined by sophomore forward DeAnte Anderson (Bloomfield, Conn.), who was selected to the All-GNAC First Team, as announced in a release by league officials on Monday afternoon. Also earning All-GNAC honors were freshman forward Mergim Kutllovci (Thomaston, Conn.), freshman midfielder Michael Torres (Hartford, Conn.), and sophomore defender Domeniko Skrelja (Ulcinj, Montenegro) who were all tabbed to the All-GNAC Third Team.
Anderson set the bar for men's soccer with a standout sophomore season, finishing with 38 points and 17 goals, second in the GNAC only to Division I transfer and junior Salah Oumorou (West Haven, Conn.) of Albertus Magnus, who needed nearly 40 more shots to score four more goals. Anderson was a conference-best three-time player of the week in 2019, and tied Oumorou for the most multi-goal games this season with five. Anderson carried much of the offensive load for USJ, finishing first or second on the team in nearly every offensive category. He also had the highest shot percentage in the GNAC (30%) among those who scored at least five goals. Men's soccer showed up when it mattered most, closing out the regular season with a 6-2 win over intrastate rival Albertus Magnus, as Anderson scored back-to-back goals and added an assist for a game-high five points. The win clinched the first-ever home playoff match for USJ men's soccer in the GNAC Tournament, which USJ won, 1-0. The Blue Jays went 9-2 when Anderson scored this season.
Kutllovci provided some serious spark on the newly renovated USJ Soccer Field in 2019, utilizing his quickness to bypass defenders at will. He finished eighth in the GNAC (third among freshmen) and second on the team in goals with 10, including two game-winners, and a hat-trick in his collegiate debut on August 30 against MCLA, which USJ won 5-2.
Skrelja, who co-captained the men's soccer team for the second straight year, served as a critical defensive anchor on the Blue Jay back line. His leadership was evident in nearly every play, serving as an extension of second-year head coach Paul Wright. The Blue Jay defense allowed just 22 goals in 2019, the fourth-lowest in the GNAC as Skelja earned All-GNAC Third Team honors for the second consecutive season.
Torres, who tied for second on the team in assists (4), provided the biggest goal in USJ men's soccer history on October 30, a thrilling 1-0 win over Albertus Magnus in the GNAC quarterfinals. The 90th minute missile sent the Blue Jays to the GNAC semifinals for the first time. It was Torres' third goal of 2019, and a first of many for USJ men's soccer in the postseason: First home playoff goal, first game-winning playoff goal, and the first-ever postseason win. Torres' won his first career GNAC weekly award this season as well, after picking up co-rookie of the week honors in the final week of the 2019 campaign
For the complete list of all-conference honorees, major award winners, and all-sportsmanship selections, please see below.
First Team
F – Salah Oumorou, Albertus Magnus
F – Amerle Nemeye, Norwich
F – DeAnte Anderson, Saint Joseph (Conn.)
M – Nick Gutekunst, Johnson & Wales (RI)
M – Julio Arreola, Norwich
M – Mitchell Duncan, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
M – Jackson Taylor, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
B – Riley McNicholas, Johnson & Wales (RI)
B – Andrew Kalombo, Norwich
B – Noah Robinson, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
GK – David Walbridge, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
Second Team
F – Hezekiah Adeyeye, Anna Maria
F – Alec Erskine, Emmanuel (Mass.)
F – Joseph Thongsythavong, Norwich
M – Kevin Reilly, Johnson & Wales (RI)
M – Josue Lopez, Norwich
M – Jared Barroso, Regis (Mass.)
M – Cody Elliott, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
B – Joulien Martinelli, Johnson & Wales (RI)
B – Alex Brannan, Norwich
B – Ryan Buonaiuto, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
GK – Robert Wagenseller, Norwich
Third Team
F – Mergim Kutllovci, Saint Joseph (Conn.)
F – Kuma Onyejose, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
F – Austin Ward, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
M – Carlos Lopez, Albertus Magnus
M – Ryan Todesco, Anna Maria
M – Cesar Da Silva, Regis (Mass.)
M – Michael Torres, Saint Joseph (Conn.)
B – Ethan Skinner, Emmanuel (Mass.)
B – Dashiell Vermilya, Norwich
B – Domeniko Skrelja, Saint Joseph (Conn.)
GK – Austin Scoggin, Johnson & Wales (RI)
GNAC Offensive Player of the Year – Salah Oumorou, Albertus Magnus
GNAC Defensive Player of the Year – Noah Robinson, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
GNAC Goalkeeper Player of the Year – David Walbridge, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
GNAC Rookie of the Year – Hezekiah Adeyeye, Anna Maria
GNAC Coach of the Year – Dave Kulik, Johnson & Wales
GNAC Institutional Sportsmanship Award – Rivier University
2019 GNAC All-Sportsmanship Team
Diogo Cruz, Albertus Magnus
Caleb Wu, Anna Maria
Couper Gunn, Colby-Sawyer
Jonathan Ferrarini, Emmanuel
Kevin Reilly, Johnson & Wales
Noah Henri, Lasell
Julius Davis, Norwich
Cesar Da Silva, Regis (Mass.)
Collin Deyarmin, Rivier
Colin Grant, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
Gaetano LaBella, Saint Joseph (Conn.)
Mike Skeiber, Suffolk
About The GNAC
The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 13 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 20 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.
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