FLUSHING, N.Y. – Fresh off back-to-back East Coast Conference (ECC) Regular Season titles, eighth year head coach
Frank Vertullo and the Queens College men's soccer team are aiming to capture the program's second ECC Championship in three seasons.
The Knights wrapped up the regular season with a 12-3-3 overall record and an unbeaten 6-0-2 mark in conference play, earning the No. 1 seed in the upcoming ECC Championship. Their quest for another title begins on Saturday, November 8, when they host No. 5 seed and defending ECC champion University of the District of Columbia (UDC) at Knights Field.
Historic Season for the Knights
Queens has put together another record-setting campaign, securing its fourth consecutive winning season and the seventh double-digit win season in program history—five of which have come under Vertullo's leadership.
This year's squad also set a new program record with nine All-ECC honorees, including a conference-leading six First Team selections, two Second Team picks, and one Third Team honoree. The Knights swept four of the conference's five major awards:
- Redshirt-junior defender Tommy Wagner (East Northport, N.Y.) - Defensive Player of the Year
- Redshirt-sophomore goalkeeper Thanasis Shehadeh (Nicosia, Cyprus) - Goalkeeper of the Year
- Rookie forward Bradyn Brown (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) - Rookie of the Year (unanimous)
- Frank Vertullo - Coach of the Year
Scouting the Knights
Offensively, Queens has been one of the most dynamic teams in the ECC, scoring 44 goals (2.44 per game) on 283 shots and 153 shots on goal.
A total of 13 Knights have registered points this season, led by led by rookie Brown with a team-high 12 goals and four assists for a total of 28 points, senior forward
Harry Cooke (Market Drayton, England) with eight goals and two assists for a total of 18 points, junior forward
Miguel Soto Gonzalez (Madrid, Spain) with six goals and a team-high 12 assists for a total of 24 points and junior midfielder
Andrew Johnson (Oakdale, N.Y.) with six goals for a total of 12 points.
Brown, Soto Gonzalez, and Johnson all earned All-ECC First Team honors, while Cooke was named to the Second Team.
Defensively, the Knights have been just as dominant. Behind Shehadeh, Wagner, senior midfielder
Kevin Johnson (Oakdale, N.Y.), all First-Team honorees, Second Team honoree graduate defender
Cillian Heaney (Westport, Ireland), Thid Team honoree rookie defender
Carlos Villa (Medellin, Colombia), Queens posted five clean sheets, allowing only 16 goals for a 0.89 goals-against average. The back line has limited opponents to 165 total shots and 80 shots on goal across 18 matches.
Scouting No. 5 Seed University of the District of Columbia Firebirds
For the third consecutive season, UDC enters the postseason in strong form, looking to defend its 2024 ECC crown. The Firebirds hold a 9-3-4 overall record and went 3-2-3 in ECC play, securing the No. 5 seed.
Seven Firebirds earned All-ECC honors and are led by All-ECC First Team honoree junior midfielder Ignacio Lopez leads the Firebirds with 12 total points having notched five goals and two assists, while All-ECC Third Team honoree rookie forward Alexander Moody-Stuart has tallied four goals, all of them game-winning tallies including the clincher in the ECC First Round. Goalkeeper has started all 16 matches, posting 71 saves, 18 goals allowed, and a 1.14 GAA.
The Firebirds enter Saturday's semifinal unbeaten in their last nine matches (6-0-3), including an extra-time victory over No. 4 seed Mercy University in the ECC First Round on November 8.
During the regular-season meeting on October 1, Queens earned a 4-1 win in Washington, D.C. Cooke, Brown, Johnson, and senior forward
David Oprea (Oslo, Norway) each scored in the victory, while Shehadeh recorded four saves.
Postseason History
The Knights and Firebirds are no strangers to postseason battles. The two programs met in the 2023 ECC Championship Final, where Queens captured its first-ever conference title with a 1-0 victory on November 11.
What's on the Line:
A win on Saturday would send Queens to the ECC Championship Final for the second time in three seasons as they continue their pursuit of a second conference crown.
Follow Live
Stats: https://queensknights.com/sidearmstats/msoc/summary
Watch: FLOCollege
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