SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (November 8, 2018) – Shortly after the SUNY Delhi men's soccer team wrapped up an ACAA Finals run to complete a 13-2-1 season, the Broncos secured three of the conference's major awards, along with six spots on the All-ACAA Team. Senior defender Stefan Correia (New Rochelle, NY / Truman) earned the ACAA Player of the Year. Senior goalkeeper Marcos Andrino (Yorktown Heights, NY / Lakeland) received Goalkeeper of the Year. Second-year head coach Brian Mitko was named Coach of the Year.
Andrino and Correia landed first-team accolades, as did Alhasane Sako (Brooklyn, NY / Academy for Social Action) and Matthew Cassidy (Bayshore, NY / Bayshore). Brody Rettle (Staten Island, NY / Susan E. Wagner) and Jostin Sarmiento (Ossining, NY / Ossining) were recognized to the second team. It marked Sako's second straight year on the first team, and second straight all-league nod for Andrino, having been named to the second team in 2017.
In their first year as official NCAA Division III members, the Broncos chalked up their highest season win total since 2008, and further improved from a 9-8 campaign in 2017. Coach Mitko's team started the year with a modest 3-2 record, then did not lose a game from then on. Delhi won its next nine contests to finish the regular season with the ACAA's best record. The squad headed to Finlandia University (Mich.) for the ACAA Tournament, where they squared off against Pine Manor in the semifinals. The match went to double overtime, in which Rettle launched the Bronocs to the conference finals with a 107th minute game-winner off a free kick. In the championship match against Thomas More, Delhi battled the Saints to a 1-1 draw, with a 4-1 penalty kick ledger in favor of the Saints deciding the conference champion. It marked the team's second straight year reaching their conference championship match.
Andrino and Correia were vital components of a defense that allowed just 18 goals all season with three shutouts. Andrino played in 12 games with 11 starts, tallying two shutouts and amassing a 10-1-1 record. He was twice named the ACAA's Defensive Player of the Week, on his way to totaling a 1.11 goals allowed average and .806 save percentage. Correia served as one of Delhi's team captains, with his leadership in the back even earning him an ACAA Defensive Player of the Week honor. His presence also helped the team allow just 194 shots with 108 on goal.
Sako finished his sophomore season with the Broncos as the team's leading scorer for the second straight season. He led the ACAA in both points and goals with 33 points on 15 goals and three assists, including scoring the team's first postseason goal in the semifinals match with Pine Manor. Sako tallied five multi-goal games, featuring a career-high four goals in the team's 7-1 win over Southern Vermont on Sept. 19, where he netted all four scores in just over a three-minute span in the second half. He earned national praise as the USCAA Athlete of the Week, as well as twice receiving ACAA weekly honors.
Cassidy was a team captain, and at the midfield position he ranked third on the squad with 14 points on four goals and six assists. He scored the game-winning goal in the Broncos' 2-1 win at Hartwick on Sept. 12, and assisted on Delhi's latter two goals to help decide a 3-1 victory over Green Mountain on Sept. 29.
Rettle led the ACAA with nine assists, while ranking second behind teammate Sako with 31 points and 11 goals. During Delhi's ten-game winning streak, Rettle scored a goal in nine of those games, including a stretch where he scored in six straight contests. He tallied a goal and/or assist in 13 of the Broncos' 16 matches, while earning an ACAA Athlete of the Week nod.
Sarmiento ended his senior campaign with three assists, along with ten shots with four on goal. He assisted the game-winning goal in the Broncos' 2-1 win at Albany College of Pharmacy on Oct. 4, with his other two assists aiding Delhi to a pair of victories during their unbeaten run to close out the season.
Heading into 2019, Coach Mitko's team will begin their first year as members of the North Atlantic Conference (NAC), armed with an 11-game unbeaten streak.