WINTHROP, Mass. – The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) has announced its 2026 men's soccer postseason awards, recognizing six Saint Joseph's College players, including a pair of major award winners and three First Team All-Conference selections, following the Monks' seventh GNAC Championship season.
Senior goalkeeper Alex Bachmann (Scarborough, Maine) was named GNAC Goalkeeper of the Year, while first-year midfielder Damir Brkic (South Portland, Maine) earned GNAC Rookie of the Year honors. Both were also selected to the First Team All-Conference, joining junior forward Nick Marion (Windham, Maine). Graduate student defender Brady Cormier (Waterboro, Maine) earned Second Team All-Conference honors, while senior defender Diego Robinson (Hinesburg, Vt.) and sophomore defender Zach Britton (Scarborough, Maine) were named to the Third Team.
Bachmann became the fifth player in program history to earn GNAC Goalkeeper of the Year honors, marking the eighth time in the past 10 seasons that a Saint Joseph's goalkeeper has received the award. Bachmann led the GNAC in save percentage (.860), ranking 12th among all NCAA Division III goalkeepers. He finished the season with 98 saves, a 0.86 goals-against average, and eight shutouts, helping the Monks finish unbeaten in conference play.
Brkic became the first player in program history to earn GNAC Rookie of the Year honors and First Team All-Conference recognition in the same season. In his first year with the Monks, the midfielder ranked fourth in the GNAC in both goals (eight) and points (20). One of his top performances came against Rivier, when he scored both goals in a 2-0 Saint Joseph's victory.
Marion earned First Team All-Conference honors for the second consecutive season after ranking second in the GNAC in goals (10) and points (28) while tying for the conference lead with eight assists. He averaged 1.47 points per game, ranking second in the GNAC and sixth in NCAA Region I.
Cormier earned his first career All-Conference selection with a spot on the Second Team. After battling injuries in previous seasons, the graduate student played a key role on a Saint Joseph's backline that posted a 0.83 team goals-against average and led the GNAC with nine shutouts.
Robinson collected his fourth career All-Conference honor with his selection to the Third Team. A leader on the Monks' backline and a contributor on set pieces, Robinson led the team in minutes played while recording two goals and one assist.
Britton earned Third Team All-Conference recognition in his first season with the Monks. A Division I transfer from UMass Lowell, the athletic outside back provided a strong defensive presence while helping generate offense with his ability to push the ball forward from the backline.
Saint Joseph's finished the regular season with a 7-2-7 record, including an unbeaten 6-0-6 mark in GNAC play, under eighth-year head coach Will Pike '11. The fifth-seeded Monks opened the GNAC Tournament at No. 4 University of Saint Joseph, advancing with a 5-4 penalty-kick shootout victory following a draw through two overtime periods. Saint Joseph's then defeated top-seeded Emmanuel in overtime to advance to the conference championship, where the Monks blanked Norwich, 2-0, to capture the program's seventh GNAC title.
MAJOR AWARDS:
Offensive Player Of The Year: Lorenzo Lauria, Albertus Magnus
Defensive Player Of The Year: Trevor Sousa, University of Saint Joseph (Conn.)
Goalkeeper of the Year: Alex Bachmann, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
Coach Of The Year: Keith Danley, Emmanuel
Rookie Of The Year: Damir Brkic, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
Institutional Sportsmanship: New England College
ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM:
F - Lorenzo Lauria, Albertus Magnus
F - Nick Marion, SJC
F - Mario Milardo, USJ
M - Nico Hamzavi, USJ
M - Damir Brkic, SJC
M - Rafael Matamoros, Emmanuel
B - Trevor Sousa, USJ
B - Luiggi Ferreira, Rivier
B - Benjamin Anderson, Emmanuel
B - Ryan Riviezzo, USJ
GK - Alex Bachmann, SJC
ALL-CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM:
F - Dru Fairthorne, Elms
F - Damir Cirikovic, USJ
F - Vincent Arsenov, Rivier
M - Jacob Beck, Emmanuel
M - Alejandro Quezada, Rivier
M - Diego Fuentes, Norwich
M - Andres Mendez-Suarez, Albertus Magnus
B - Brady Cormier, SJC
B - Samuel Webster, Elms
B - Miles Bergeson, Norwich
GK - Matt Guzman, NEC
ALL-CONFERENCE THIRD TEAM:
F - Joandry Lopez, Albertus Magnus
F - Jacob Nardelli, Emmanuel
F - Kaden Lewis, Colby-Sawyer
M - Luis Pimentel, Emmanuel
M - Haroun Mafhoum, Regis
M - Landon Coelho, USJ
B - Diego Robinson, SJC
B - Zach Britton, SJC
B - Connor Morgenthal, Emmanuel
B - Michael Abayomi, Albertus Magnus
GK - David Derk, Emmanuel
