Inside Athletics

Jim Bernardo returned to Albertus during the fall 2025 season as an assistant coach for the men's soccer team after holding the title of head coach from 2005-16.

In his final eight seasons as head coach, Bernardo led his teams to a combined mark of 93-54-11 and eight Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) postseason appearances, including one conference championship in 2012. He finished his time as head coach with a 125-94-11 record.

It was another productive year on the pitch for the men's soccer team in 2016, as the team finished the year with a 9-8-1 overall record and earned the No. 5 seed in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament thanks to posting a 4-4-1 mark in league play. It was the team's 21st appearance in the postseason event with Albertus Magnus holding a 16-18-4 overall record and a pair of conference titles (1996 & 2012).

Following the campaign, AMC saw an impressive six players named to the All-GNAC teams. The Falcons landed one player on the first team, two on the second team and three on the third team. It was a record-breaking season for the team as both Alex Zapata and Alexis Garcia-Romero etched their names in the program record book. Zapata ranks fifth all-time in program history in points, sixth in goals and eighth in assists, while Garcia-Romero ends his career 11th in program history with 64 points. Both players earned All-GNAC honors four times throughout their careers.

The 2015 season saw the men's soccer team place four players on the All-GNAC Teams, led by senior back Austin Tomin (Hamden, Conn.) making the First Team. 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 record and qualified for the 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.

In 2014, five of his players earned GNAC All-Conference honors led by Lindsley Barrett (Shelton, Conn.) who was named to the First Team.  In 2014, Alexis Garcia (West Haven, Conn.), who was named to the GNAC All-Conference Second Team, earned NSCAA First-Team honors as well.

On Sept. 24, 2014, Bernardo registered his 100th career victory as the Falcons defeated Mitchell College 3-0 on the road.

Also under his guidance, four players received GNAC All-Conference honors in 2013 led by junior Lindsley Barrett who was named to the First Team, while Alexis Garcia was named to the Second Team as he was also named the GNAC Rookie of the Year. Riker Mitchell (Naugatuck, Conn.) joined Garcia on the Second Team, while senior Donato Piroscafo (Naugatuck, Conn.) was named to the Third Team.

The 2013 season saw the Falcons finish 6-10-2 but the team was able to use an upset victory in GNAC Tournament play over second-seeded Saint Joseph's College of Maine to make it into the semifinals of the postseason tournament.  Piroscafo finished his four-year career as one of the top goalkeepers in program history for the Falcons.

In 2012, the Falcons won the GNAC Championship title with a 6-5 shootout win over Norwich University en route to the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. With the GNAC title win, the Falcons earned the crown for the second time in program history after winning the title in 1996 when Bernardo was a player.

Albertus went on to play Swarthmore in the NCAA Tournament First Round but lost to the Garnet 3-0. The Falcons finished the season 15-4-3, while five members of the team won GNAC All-Conference First Team honors and two were placed on the Second Team.  Albertus senior Stephen Zapata (Hamden, Conn.) was named to the NSCAA/Continential Tire All-America Second Team for his efforts.  His younger brother Alex Zapata was tagged as the GNAC Rookie of the Year, while teammate Nick Hamasian (Hamden, Conn.) was named the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year.

In 2011, he led his team to a perfect 10-0 record in conference play as the Falcons finished the year as GNAC Regular-Season Champions. In 2011, Bernardo also led his team to their first-ever ECAC Tournament victory with a 3-2 win over Endicott College on Nov. 9.

The Falcons finished the 2011 season with a 17-4-1 overall record to mark the most single-season wins in program history. Bernardo was named by his peers as the 2011 GNAC Men's Soccer Coach of the Year for the second time during his tenure. Senior Jamal Howard (West Haven, Conn.) was named the College's first-ever All-American as he was named to the NSCAA/Continential Tire All-America Second Team. Howard also set program records in single-season goals scored, career goals and career points en route to being named the 2011 GNAC Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Year.

Five members of Bernardo's 2011 squad earned a spot on the GNAC All-Conference First Team, while the GNAC Rookie of the Year, Lindsley Barrett, was named to the All-Conference Second Team. Jesse Plona and James Luchessi were tagged with Third Team honors. Howard led the Falcons on the First Team, while he was joined by Stephen Zapata, Donato Piroscafo, Nick Hamasian and Chris Long. Zapata was also recognized nationally as he led the Country in Assists Per Game with an average of 1.15.

In 2010, Bernardo was named the GNAC Coach of the Year as he guided his program to a second-place finish in the GNAC regular-season standings as well as a 15-6-1 overall record. His 2010 squad also earned an ECAC Tournament bid as a fifth seed.

The 2010 season also saw six student-athletes earn GNAC accolades, while Jamal Howard earned NSCAA/Performance Subaru Men’s NCAA DIII All-New England Region Second Team honors.

Howard led the team in goals (12) and was second on the squad with 28 points, four assists and 83 shots as he earned GNAC First Team All-Conference honors as well. Nick Hamasian joined Howard on the First Team as he was tagged as the 2010 GNAC Defensive Player of the Year. Steven Zapata also earned First Team honors as he led Albertus with 29 points and 13 assists.

Midfielder Rafael Guillen was named to the Second Team, while Chris Long and Donato Piroscafo were tagged as Third Team members, respectively.

After graduating from Albertus Magnus in 1998 with a degree in Business Administration and a concentration in Accounting, Bernardo was hired as an assistant coach with the Falcons  and served in that role until the end of the 2004 season. In the summer of 2005, he became just the second head coach in program history.

In his first four seasons at the helm of the program, Bernardo’s teams earned postseason berths every year and were selected to the ECAC Tournament in both 2005 and 2002. Since then, the Falcons have made ECAC Tournament appearances in both 2010 and 2011.

As a student-athlete, Bernardo was a four-year starting goalkeeper for Hall of Fame head coach George Bedocs from 1994-97 and was a captain of the 1997 team. He earned GNAC All-Conference Second Team honors in 1997 and All-Tournament honors in 1996 and was the starting goalkeeper on the 1996 GNAC Championship team, which was inducted into the Albertus Magnus Hall of Fame in 2009.

Coach Bernardo's All-Time Coaching Record at Albertus Magnus