New Haven, Conn. – The Albertus Magnus College men's soccer team finished the regular season with a 9-8 overall record and earned the No. 6 seed in the upcoming Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament thanks to a 4-5 mark in league play.
The Falcons open post-season play on Sunday, November 1, traveling to the Pine Tree State to square off with Saint Joseph's in the GNAC Quarterfinals. Albertus Magnus will look to avenge a 3-0 setback to the Monks on the road earlier this season and advance to the GNAC Semifinals for the first time since 2013. The winner of the GNAC Championship Tournament will determine the league's automatic qualifier for the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament.
In the first meeting between the two conference foes, each team took 13 shots in the game, as the Monks capitalized on their opportunities and the Falcons could not break through. Saint Joseph's took six corners in the game compared to just one for Albertus Magnus.
In total, the Falcons are making their 20th appearance in the GNAC Tournament having gone 14-16-4 with a pair of conference titles to their name. AMC took home the league crown in 1996 and most recently in 2012. Versus the Monks in GNAC post-season action, the Falcons are 2-0-0 all-time.
Offensively, junior midfielder Alex Zapata (Hamden, Conn.) has paced the Falcon attack with a team-leading eight goals, four assists, 20 points, 62 shots and three game-winning tallies. The 5-10 playmaker has started all nine conference games and buried three markers to go along with two assists in those tilts. Classmate Alexis Garcia (West Haven, Conn.) and sophomore Justyn Broderick (Orange, Conn.) have each netted four goals this autumn, while junior Matt Mueller (Cheshire, Conn.) has scored three times. Broderick is tied with Zapata for the team-lead in game-winning goals, two of which have come in GNAC play.
Defensively, senior Austin Tomin (Hamden, Conn.), junior Ben Colter (Guilford, Conn.), classmate Earl McCoy (Hamden, Conn.) and sophomore Alberto Aguillon (Trumbull, Conn.) have anchored the backline for Albertus Magnus this season. As a unit, the Falcons have allowed just over one goal per contest and registered four clean sheets.
Between the pipes, freshman goalkeeper Joe Russo (North Haven, Conn.) and sophomore netminder Griffin Volta (Orange, Conn.) have split time this year for the Falcons. In 11 games and just over 1,000 minutes of action, Volta has amassed a 1.26 goals-against average and a .731 save percentage, while making 38 saves and going 6-5. Russo is 3-3 in six starts with 28 saves, a 0.80 goals-against average and an impressive .848 save percentage. Both keepers have recorded a pair of shutouts this fall.
