WOMEN'S SOCCER: JWU's Restivo Named Offensive Player of the Year for GNAC Champion Wildcats
Four different GNAC schools earned major award honors as the conference office announced its all-conference squads on Monday afternoon.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WINTHROP, Mass. – JWU forward Jordan Restivo has been voted the 2021 Great Northeast Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Year, as the GNAC office unveiled its all-conference teams on Monday. All winners are voted upon by the league's 14 head coaches.
Restivo (pictured), who helped lead the Wildcats to their second straight GNAC team title on Saturday, was one of three JWU student-athletes named to the All-GNAC First Team. Enter NCAA Tournament play, she has registered 14 goals and 12 assists for a GNAC-leading 40 points on the 2021 campaign.
Emmanuel College defender Kennedy Davignon was selected as the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year, as she helped the Saints to the No. 8 seed in the GNAC Tournament. Davignon started all 19 games for EC and added four goals and an assist.
Lasell University forward Alyssa DeOliveira was named the 2021 GNAC Rookie of the Year after the first-year led the GNAC in goals (18) and shots (97) while finishing second to only Restivo in points (37). The rookie helped lead the Lasers back to the GNAC Championship contest, where they fell on the road to JWU. DeOliveira was joined by teammates Bobbi O'Guin and Korynne Provenzano on the All-GNAC First Team.
Saint Joseph's of Maine's Adia Grogan cruised to GNAC Goalkeeper of the Year honors, as the talented netminder made 138 saves for an .873 save percentage on the year, while posting a 0.48 goals-against average in GNAC play for the Monks, who earned the No. 3 seed in the GNAC Tournament. SJC forward Madison Michaud and midfielder Kayley Mattos joined Grogan on the First Team.
University of Saint Joseph (CT) first-year head coach Jenna Kalwa was voted the GNAC Coach of the Year by her peers, as she led the Blue Jays to the No. 4 seed in the GNAC playoffs and a quarterfinal-round victory over in-state rival Albertus Magnus College. USJ went 13-4-1 overall, including 9-3-1 in GNAC play, after going 5-6-1 against conference foes back in 2019 prior to COVID-19. This year's Blue Jays also saw five named to the All-GNAC Teams, including midfielder Jenna Zup on the First Team.
The GNAC also announced its All-Rookie and All-Sportsmanship Teams. For the complete list of winners, 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
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.
– #TheGNAC –
