MEN'S SOCCER: GNAC Announces All-Conference & Major Awards

Winthrop, Mass. - The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) office announced their major awards/all-conference teams on Tuesday afternoon (Nov. 11). Voting was conducted for each of the major awards and all-conference teams by the league's 13 head coaches before postseason play had begun. 

University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) student-athlete Mario Milardo was voted Offensive Player of the Year, while his teammate Nicholas Simpson was named Defensive Player of the Year and Nico Hamzavi was named Rookie of the Year. Meanwhile, Regis' Chris Alcon took home Goalkeeper of the Year honors as his head coach Renato Capabianco was voted the Coach of the Year. Norwich University earned the Institutional Sportsmanship Award.

The full list of All-Conference honorees and the representatives on the All-Sportsmanship Team can be viewed below.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Mario Milardo, University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) (So.)

Sophomore Mario Milardo had a stellar season on the Blue Jays' attack, ranking amongst the league's best in the top-three in goals (11), assists (six), and points (28) for a league-leading USJ offense. The Middletown, Conn. native took a league-best 68 shots as his aggressiveness on the attack was what made USJ dangerous on the pitch as he led the Blue Jays to the number one seed in the tournament where Milardo took home tournament MVP honors this past weekend, guiding them to the NCAA tournament.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Nicholas Simpson, University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) (Sr.)

Senior Nicholas Simpson led a USJ defense to the top of the conference this past season. The Mansfield, Conn. native helped anchor a strong Blue Jays defense that posted a league-leading seven shutouts on the season, five of which came from conference play. Simpson also recorded four goals and was a perfect 4-for-4 on penalty kicks this past season for USJ.

GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR

Chris Alcon, Regis (So.)

Sophomore Chris Alcon totaled 53 saves for the Pride this past season, collecting seven wins in the process with four of them being shutouts. The Cartagena, Spain native helped lead the Pride to a third seed in this year's GNAC tournament. Alcon was named Goalkeeper of the Week once this past season.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Nico Hamzavi, University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) (So.)

First-year Nico Hamzavi made an immediate impact, starting all 19 matches while ranking among the league’s top playmakers with four goals and six assists (third in the GNAC). His 14 total points ranked 16th overall in the GNAC, and his consistent production helped fuel USJ’s strong campaign.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Renato Capobianco, Regis

Head Coach Renato Capobianco guided the Pride to one of their strongest seasons in recent program history. Capobianco led Regis to an 8-4 conference record, earning a postseason berth all while building a disciplined and resilient squad that outscored opponents 31-29 on the year. His leadership and steady vision helped elevate the Pride into the three seed of the GNAC Tournament this season.

Major Awards

Offensive Player Of The Year: Mario Milardo, USJ

Defensive Player Of The Year: Nicholas Simpson, USJ

Goalkeeper of the Year: Chris Alcon, Regis

Coach Of The Year: Renato Capobianco, Regis

Rookie Of The Year: Nico Hamzavi, USJ

Institutional Sportsmanship: Norwich University

ABOUT THE GREAT NORTHEAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 14 member institutions and over 4000 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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