New Haven, Conn. – After a pair of one-goal road wins, the No. 6 Albertus Magnus College men's soccer team has advanced to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament Championship. On Saturday, November 7, the Falcons travel to the Ocean State to square off with top-seeded and defending conference champion Johnson & Wales with a league crown and a berth into the NCAA Tournament on the line.
Following Wednesday's, 3-2, triumph at Mount Ida in the GNAC Semifinals, Albertus Magnus is 11-8 overall. The Falcons have played strong in the post-season away from home, winning two straight. AMC had dropped five consecutive road games to end the regular season, but the team from the Elm City has found new life in the playoffs.
Junior midfielder Matt Mueller (Cheshire, Conn.), sophomore forward Matt Stoll (Shelton, Conn.) and junior midfielder Alex Zapata (Hamden, Conn.) all found the back of the net for the Falcons last time out. Mueller and Stoll potted tallies in the first half, while Zapata delivered the eventual game-winning strike early in the second half. Zapata's game-winner was his second in as many games and Stoll's marker was his first of the season and the sixth of his career. In goal, reigning GNAC Goalkeeper of the Week, Griffin Volta (Orange, Conn.), made seven saves, including three in the second half, to earn his eighth win of the autumn.
Earlier this season, Johnson and Wales scored a 1-0 shutout victory in New Haven versus Albertus Magnus. During the College's annual Fall Fest, the difference in the game was Wildcat senior midfielder Doug Kase's second-half strike. In the 55th minute, Kase finished a cross from freshman midfielder Byron Arboleda. The marker was his fourth of the season and quieted the home crowd. The Falcons held a slight, 14-13, advantage in shots and took five corners compared to four by the visitors. For JWU, goalkeeper Nick Tolman turned aside five shots to register the clean sheet.
Zapata has 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 are junior midfielder Alexis Garcia (West Haven, Conn.), Mueller and sophomore forward Justyn Broderick (Orange, Conn.). Garcia is tied with Zapata for the team-lead with four helpers and has added four goals. Mueller is second on the team with five markers, having scored in back-to-back games, while Broderick has found the back of the net four times to go along with three assists this fall.
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 surrendered just over one goal per tilt, while recording six clean sheets this fall.
In net, Volta and freshman goalkeeper Joe Russo (North Haven, Conn.) have each seen significant time this year. In 13 games and just under 1,200 minutes of action, Volta has posted a 1.29 goals-against average with 51 saves and a .750 save percentage. During his second year on campus, he has amassed an 8-5 record to go along with a pair of shutouts. Russo is 3-3 this fall 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.
The Falcons are seeking their third conference title, after winning the tournament in 1996 and 2012. AMC is 1-4-0 all-time versus Johnson & Wales in the GNAC Tournament.
Albertus Magnus will be sending a fan bus to the game. To sign up for the fan bus, please bring a five dollar deposit and your student ID to the athletic center. The bus will be departing at 10:30 am on Saturday en route to Providence to support the Falcons.
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