A program Record Four Queens College Men’s Soccer Knights Earn D2 CAA All-East Region Honors Tuesday Afternoon

FLUSHING, N.Y. – On Tuesday, November 26, 2024, the Division II Conference Commissioner Association (D2 CCA) announced the 2024 All-East Region teams and four Queens College men’s soccer student-athletes were honored. 

For the third straight year head coach Frank Vertullo and his coaching staff have guided a Knight to earn All-East Region honors. In 2022 the Knights earned one, in 2023 two Knights were awarded All-East regions, a program record, and fast-forward to 2024 a program record four Knights have earned a spot. 

Leading the charge was junior forward Harry Cooke (Market Drayton, England), and senior defender Joaquim Johnson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) who earned First Team honors. While the duo of redshirt freshman goalie Thanasis Shehadeh (Nicosia, Cyprus) and junior midfielder Kevin Johnson (Oakdale, N.Y.), were awarded Second Team honors. 

The first-team duo of Cooke and Johnson are now eligible for the All-American ballot.

In another historic season for Vertullo and his squad, the Knights concluded the 2024 season with an overall record of 11-5-1 and went 7-0-1 in East Coast Conference play. It is the fourth straight season the Knights have posted a winning % of .500 or more and the third straight year Queens has recorded double-digit wins.

Queens would win their first-ever ECC Regular Season Title in program history and earn the #1 seed.

All-East First Team – Forward – Harry Cooke

Following an All-ECC Second Team honors in 2023, Cooke would take his level of play to another level as he was named to the All-ECC First Team honors this year.

The England native started all 18 games and would go on to rewrite the single-season program record by notching 23 goals, and seven assists for a total of 53 points. He would also notch eight game-winning goals. In eight conference games, the junior recorded 14 goals and one assist with five game-winning goals. 

In the nation, Cooke is ranked first in game-winning goals, second in total points, and tied for second in total goals. 

In the single-season program record book, Cooke has taken sole possession of points, goals, and game-winning goals and is tied for third in assists. 

While in the All-Time Career categories, the junior moves into first in game-winning goals, second in points, and goals, and tied for fourth in assists. 

All-East First Team – Defender – Joaquim Johnson

In his final year as a Knights Johnson has earned All-ECC First Team honors, and All-East First Team honors. Johnson who was the third defender to earn All-ECC First Team for the third straight year for Queens is now the fourth Knight to All-East region honors, and the third one to earn First Team honors. 

It is the second straight Queens has placed a defender on All-East Region teams. 

The Brooklyn native who appeared in 18 games and earned 13 starts would notch five points with two goals and one assist on the offensive end. While on the defensive end, the senior helped Queens record nine shutouts including four in conference play. 

All-East Second Team – Goalkeeper – Thanasis Shehadeh

Shehadeh became the first Knight to earn ECC Goalkeeper of the Year and All-ECC First Team honors since Michael Bolvin who achieved the high honors in 2018. The redshirt freshman is the first goalie to be named to one of the All-ECC Teams since current assistant coach Dario Giovanni Cruz was named to the Second Team in 2022.

Shehadeh is the first goalkeeper in program history to earn D2 CCA All-East Region honors. 

Since being slotted into the starting lineup on Sept. 26 Shehadeh compiled an overall record of 9-1-2, and a 6-0-1 in ECC play notching 36 saves to go with a goals against average of 0.66 as he allowed only eight goals. The redshirt freshman notched eight shutouts and one combined shutout on the year. 

In the single-season program record book, the Cyprus native recorded a program-record eight shutouts and is tied for third in wins. While in the All-Time Career record book his nine wins are the sixth most, and the eight shutouts are the third most in program history. 

All-East Second Team – Midfielder – Kevin Johnson

Johnson who earned All-ECC Second Team honors in 2023 would help lead the Knights to their first ECC Regular Season Championship this season as he notched a career-best year to earn All-ECC First Team honor.

The junior midfielder is the first midfielder in program history to earn D2 CCA All-East Region honors. 

The Oakdale native started 17 games as he notched a career-best year of seven points tallying three goals and one assist to go with one game-winning goal. 

About D2 CCA

The Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) encourages and promotes Division II athletics and high standards of sportsmanship as important elements of higher education. The CCA is a key communications link among the conferences as they discuss views, policies, and regulations that impact Division II intercollegiate athletics and works closely with the NCAA as a communications channel to NCAA Division II member colleges and universities.

For the latest news on Queens College Athletics, follow the Knights at queensknights.com or via social media on Facebook (Queens College Athletics), X (Formerly Twitter) (@QCKnights), and Instagram (qcknightsny), men's soccer (qcmsoccer).