Kalwa Named Coach Of The Year, USJ Lands Six On All-GNAC Teams
WINTHROP, Mass. – More than half a dozen awards were handed out to the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) women's soccer team, headlined by first-year head coach Jenna Kalwa, who was named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Women's Soccer Coach of the Year, it was announced last week by the league's front office as part of the GNAC year-end awards. Freshman midfielder Jenna Zup (Berlin, Conn.) was also in the spotlight, receiving All-GNAC First Team honors. Something good always seemed to happen when Zup got involved on the offensive end, as she and the Blue Jays sported their best record since 2012 (13-4-1) and an appearance in the GNAC Semifinals. The awards are voted on yearly by the league's 14 head coaches.
A trio of Blue Jays made the All-GNAC Second Team, including senior defender Jenna Banta (Montville, Conn.), junior midfielder Elizabeth Garlock (Meriden, Conn.) and sophomore goalie Victoria Schaffner (Waterbury, Conn.), who spent most of the season at the top of the GNAC in goals against average, save percentage, and goals allowed. She led the conference with eight shutouts overall in her first full season as USJ's primary netminder. She and the tenacious Blue Jays' defense also held an incomparable six-game shutout streak (654 minutes, 27 seconds) to open the season.
Junior forward Maxine Muscatello (Berlin, Conn.), who caught fire late in the season and finished the year with a team-high 25 points coming on 10 goals and five assists, was a member of the All-GNAC Third Team. Schaffner and Zup also made the GNAC All-Rookie Team, while senior midfielder Ariana Gazaferi (Southington, Conn.) was voted to the GNAC All-Sportsmanship Team.
COACH QUOTE [Jenna Kalwa] "I am so thankful for this award. I must thank my fellow GNAC head coaches for the acknowledgment, especially when each program put forth such a highly competitive opponent. That alone deserves its own recognition. This honor is more for the team than anything. All I can do is provide the opportunity to get better, but at the end of the day, it's up to each student-athlete to choose to be better. What a team we had this year. They have so much heart, and a level of selflessness that made our team better, rather than any one individual."
For the complete list of all-conference honorees, major award winners, and all-sportsmanship selections, please see below.
FIRST TEAM
F – Jordan Restivo, Johnson & Wales (RI)
F – Alyssa DeOliveira, Lasell
F – Madison Michaud, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
M – Trina Capezza, Johnson & Wales (RI)
M – Bobbi O'Guin, Lasell
M – Jenna Zup, St. Joseph (Conn.)
M – Kayley Mattos, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
B – Kennedy Davignon, Emmanuel (Mass.)
B – Emily DeRoehn, Johnson & Wales (RI)
B – Korynne Provenzano, Lasell
GK – Adia Grogan, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
SECOND TEAM
F – Haley Andrews, Albertus Magnus
F – Hayley Viebrock, Johnson & Wales (RI)
F – Miya Nishibun, Regis (Mass.)
M – Amanda McGeehan, Albertus Magnus
M – Angelina Carrion, Johnson & Wales (RI)
M – Erin Petrocelli, Lasell
M – Serena Speight, Lasell
B – Jenna Banta, St. Joseph (Conn.)
B – Elizabeth Garlock, St. Joseph (Conn.)
B – Caitlin Callahan, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
GK – Victoria Schaffner, St. Joseph (Conn.)
THIRD TEAM
F – Olivia Cairrao, Johnson & Wales (RI)
F – Maxine Muscatello, St. Joseph (Conn.)
F – Alicen Burnham, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
M – Kelly Malheiro, Elms
M – Hailey Lovell, Regis (Mass.)
M – Eilidh Sidaway, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
M – Sydney Neumuth, Simmons
B – Keegan Riccio, Albertus Magnus
B – Kerri Urquhart, Regis (Mass.)
B – Elizabeth Flynn, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
GK – Carly McCrumb, Johnson & Wales (RI)
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Jordan Restivo, Johnson & Wales (RI)
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Kennedy Davignon, Emmanuel (Mass.)
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR – Alyssa DeOliveira, Lasell
GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR – Adia Grogan, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
COACH OF THE YEAR – Jenna Kalwa, St. Joseph (Conn.)
TEAM SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD – Simmons
ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Addie Legault, Emmanuel (Mass.)
Emily DeRoehn, Johnson & Wales (RI)
Carly McCrumb, Johnson & Wales (RI)
Hayley Viebrock, Johnson & Wales (RI)
Alyssa DeOliveira, Lasell
Priscilla Martinelli, Lasell
Kaylee Magoon, Rivier
Victoria Schaffner, St. Joseph (Conn.)
Jenna Zup, St. Joseph (Conn.)
Alicen Burnham, Saint Joseph's (Me.
Sydney Neumuth, Simmons
ALL-SPORTSMANSHIP TEAM
Amy Diverniero, Albertus Magnus
Ashley Rufo, Anna Maria
Sophia DeMarco, Colby-Sawyer
Mikayla Godding, Dean
Kellie Serrao, Elms
Hannah Sullivan, Emmanuel
Katherine Owings, JWU
Angela Sanzari, Lasell
Julia Koron, Norwich
Oriana Attridge, Regis
Meagan Minaya, Rivier
Ariana Gazaferi, St. Joseph (Conn.)
Emma Auclair, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
Nell Spencer, Simmons
About The GNAC
The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 14 member institutions and over 3,500 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 22 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.
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