Hyland Tabbed GNAC All-Conference Third Team
BOSTON, Mass. – Anna Maria College senior men's soccer player Justin Hyland (Leicester, Mass.) has been named to the 2013 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) All-Conference Third Teams as announced by the conference office on Monday afternoon. Teammate junior Bryan Blomgren (Auburn, Mass.) earned a spot on the GNAC All-Sportsmanship team.
Hyland tallied 7 goals and three assists for Anna Maria this season. He was in the top 10 in the GNAC in goals and points. Hyland had the game-winning goal in each of the AMCATS three victories this season.
Lasell College senior forward Mike Skelton (Conway, N.H.) has been named the GNAC Offensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season following an impressive campaign for the Lasers. Skelton led the GNAC in goals while ranking tied for sixth in the nation with 20 scores and ranked first overall in the league in points with 44. The Conway, N.H. native helped Lasell earn the No. 1 seed in the GNAC playoffs, leading the squad to a 7-1-1 GNAC slate during the regular season. On the year, when Skelton scored a goal for Lasell the Lasers went an incredible 12-2-1 in those matches. Six of his tallies were a game-winning goal which also was the most among players in the GNAC.
Norwich University senior defender Ryan Campbell (Damascus, Md.) has been named the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year after helping the Cadets to an 11-4-4 record. Campbell played in and started all 19 games in the backfield for NU, helping the Cadets post a league-low 0.59 goals against average that included 12 shutouts. The back had a few bright moments offensively as well, scoring two goals on the year including the game-winner in a 4-0 victory over Rivier University. Campbell was more known for his lockdown defensive pressure and ability to shut down opponents key scoring threats.
For the second consecutive season, an Albertus Magnus rookie has been tabbed the GNAC Rookie of the Year with the honor going to freshman forward Alexis Garcia (West Haven, Conn.). Garcia ended the year with 15 points, scoring six goals to go along with three assists. The forward ranks tied for 10th in the league with goals and 12th in total points. During the regular season, Garcia was named the conference's Rookie of the Week on three separate occasions. The West Haven, Conn. native helped the Falcons return to the GNAC Quarterfinals before the two-time defending GNAC Champions were ousted by the 2013 champs in JWU.
Mount Ida College head coach Joseph Campbell has been named the GNAC Coach of the Year after leading the Mustangs into the GNAC playoffs with a No. 5 seedings. Behind Campbell's leadership, Ida posted an 8-7-3 overall mark and a 5-2-2 record in GNAC play. This marks the program's first winning season since the 2008 campaign in which they posted a 9-6-4 mark. Their signature win during the 2013 campaign came on October 14 when they Mustangs bested the eventual tournament champions, Johnson & Wales, 2-0 on their home turf to hand the Wildcats their first and only loss on the season.
The Rivier University Men's Soccer team was honored with the GNAC Team Sportsmanship Award as voted on by their league peers.
2013 GNAC Men's Soccer All-Conference Team
