WATERVILLE, Me. (November 11, 2019) – SUNY Delhi men's soccer's top scoring tandem of midfielders Brody Rettle (Staten Island, NY / Susan E. Wagner) and Juan Velez (Peekskill / Peekskill, NY), sophomore defender Devonte Dawson (Yonkers, NY / Roosevelt), and senior goalkeeper Corey O'Toole (Colonie, NY / Colonie Central) earned all-conference honors from the North Atlantic Conference (NAC). Rettle, Velez, and Dawson were recognized to the First Team, while O'Toole was named to the Second Team. Junior Michael Zerniak (Wolcott, NY / North Rose-Wolcott) received a spot on the NAC Sportsmanship Team.
Though the Broncos' season ended last Sunday with a 1-0 NAC Quarterfinals defeat to SUNY Canton, head coach Brian Mitko's team overcame many obstacles to finish with a 9-8 record and 6-2 NAC mark. After scoring just two goals in their first three matches to stand at 0-3, the Broncos bounced back to win their next four games with a combined 11 goals, including a pair of conference victories over Northern Vermont Johnson and Maine Maritime. While this was followed by another three-game losing streak, Delhi remained resilient, ending the season winning five of its last six matches that featured four league wins. These efforts awarded the Broncos the number-three seed for the conference tournament.
Rettle led the team in scoring with 23 points on ten goals and three assists for second in the NAC, while Velez was the Broncos' leader with 11 goals to rank number two in the conference. Velez was named both the NAC and USCAA Athlete of the Week during the season, while posting four two-goal games that helped Delhi win three of those matches. Rettle completed his junior year pushing his career numbers to 67 career points on 27 goals and 13 assists. Velez now holds 31 career points on 15 goals and one assist through two seasons with the Broncos. This marks the second straight year Rettle has received all-conference honors after being named to the American Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) Second Team in 2018.
Dawson was the vital part of Delhi's defense that allowed just 36 goals on the season and posted four shutouts. He exhibited a calmness under pressure and a confidence with the ball at his foot. Dawson was physical against strong attackers and had a technical ability to contribute to the team's attack. Playing in all 17 games with 16 starts, the Yonkers, NY native proved his reliability and consistency in his sophomore campaign, and even contributed to the Broncos' attack by playing free kicks strongly on both sides of the field.
O'Toole finished his senior season with an 8-7 record as Delhi's full-time starter, posting two solo shutouts with a pair of combined shutouts and recording a 1.95 goals allowed average and .726 save percentage. He earned NAC Defensive Player of the Week honors and put on a gritty performance against SUNY Canton in the NAC Quarterfinals. After the Roos scored just ten minutes into the contest, O'Toole stepped up big to keep it a one-goal match, posting a penalty-kick save and a point-blank save on a one-on-one matchup at the ten-yard mark in the second half.
