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Team Season Records

Year ^ Overall Record* CACC Record (Place) Post Season Season Summary Coach
2007 1-14-3 1-5-3   9th in CACC Finizio
2006 4-10-1 2-6
(7th Place)		 N/A   Finizio
2005 2-13-2 2-5-1
(7th Place)		 N/A   Finizio
2004 3-14-1 2-5-1
(7th Place)		 N/A Scored one or less goals in 12 of 18 games Finizio
2003 14-8-1 6-2-1
(2nd Place)		 4-1 ECAC Finalist, CACC Tournament Champion Finizio
2002 16-7-0 8-1-0
(1st Place)		 4-1 NAIA National Tournament Competitor, NAIA Region X Champion, NAIA-CACC Independent Region X Champion Finizio
2001 12-8-0 7-2-0
(2nd Place)		 1-1 NAIA-CACC Independent Region X Finalist Finizio
2000 12-8-1 4-4-1 0-1 CACC Quarter Finalists Finizio
1999 6-13-1 2-6-0 0-1 CACC Quarter Finalists Finizio
1998 11-7-2   0-1   Finizio
1997 16-3-1       Olazagasti
1996 15-4-1       Olazagasti
1995 11-7       Olazagasti
1994 10-7       Olazagasti
1993 13-3       Olazagasti
1992 8-6-1       Olazagasti
1991 10-5-1       Olazagasti
1990 9-2       Whitcraft
* Overall Record includes results from the Post-Season.
** Joined the CACC in 1999. Prior to this, was independent team in Region X
^ Joined the NCAA Division II in 2003.  Prior to this, competed in NAIA in Region X.

 History

2006 Recap

The team again did not make the playoffs, but they demonstrated that the rebuilding campaign is on the right track. The Lightning lost twice in the last three minutes against strong conference foes and lost in overtime against one of the eventual playoff finalists. This remarkable effort for this very young group (no seniors, and mostly freshmen and sophomores on the starting line-up) was possible thanks to a greatly improved team organization. Junior Rob Garofalo and sophomore Garrett Shuler, both provided excellent goaltending. Wing fullbacks Matt Adkins and Noel White were strong in defense and often were able to provide some sparks to the attacking phase. The two central defenders, Kyle Bailey and Mike Sager, completed the defensive unit with steady performances. The midfield and the offense were frequently brilliant in the build-up phase, but not always convincing in finishing. John Giorgilli (a junior), Brett Kirkland (a junior), and Angel Rodriguez (a freshman) were the top contributors in the midfield. The progress exhibited in particular by the younger players, and the win in the last game of the season (an unusual occurrence) anticipate much better days ahead next season.

2005 Recap

The 2005 season was not what the Goldey-Beacom College men’s soccer team had hoped for as they finished with a 2-13-2 record. The Lightning earned their two conference wins over Bloomfield College and Post University. One of the hardest fought battles of the season was a 0-0 tie with in-state rival Wilmington College. The 2005 season did not go without individual accolades as sophomore Brett Kirkland (Severna Park, MD/Severna Park) was named to the CACC Second Team. Sophomore Kofi Agyeman (Wilmington, DE/Concord) led the team in scoring with 6 points on 3 goals. Despite GBC’s offensive struggles, they were strong on defense allowing only 29 goals scored against them all season.  

2004 Recap

The 2004 Goldey-Beacom College men’s soccer team struggled to a 3-14-1 record in 2004 following a 2003 season in which it captured the CACC Tournament Championship. Despite failing to qualify for post-season play, the Lightning did manage to place three players on the CACC First Team. Senior Bruno Farias (Recife, Brazil) led the team in scoring with 22 points on 10 goals and two assists en route to garnering all-conference honors. Farias’ best game of the season game in a 5-2 win over Holy Family on homecoming weekend as he scored twice and added an assist. Joining Farias on the CACC First Team was senior Matt DiGiacobbe (Newark, DE), who finished second on the team in scoring with 21 points on nine goals and three assists, scoring two goals in a game twice. The third member of the Lightning to garner CACC First Team honors was goalkeeper Bryan Rudden (Landenberg, PA), who led the conference in saves with 156 and also led the NCAA (Division II) in saves per game with 8.67. The Lightning struggled offensively all season as they were shutout five times and scored just one goal in seven other contests. Aside from their win over Holy Family, the Lighting also defeated Molloy College in the season-opener (2-1) and posted a road win at Bloomfield College (4-2).

2003 Recap

The 2003 Lightning squad once again got off to a rocky start in its Conference competition (0-2-1 after the first three games).  However the team soon regrouped and after six straight conference wins found itself in a three-way tie for 2nd place overall.   The team moved on to CACC Play-offs where it proceeded to out-score its opponents 17-5 to claim the Tournament title in an overwhelming fashion.  Some other highlights in the year included non-conference victories over Kutztown and Bloomsburg Universities and a trip to the ECAC finals, where the team lost in double-overtime to the University of Bridgeport (ME).  Overall, Coach Finizio summarized 2003 as “another very positive season, not only for the number of wins (14), but for a regular display of good attacking-style soccer, in particular in the post-season”.

Several key contributors to this team’s success over the past four years will graduate this spring, including CACC and team leader in goals scored (20, with a career total of 81) Jason McCloskey.  Abe Nimroozi and Josh Petro anchored our solid defensive unit, holding the opposition to 134 goals in 4 years (to our 248 goals).  Nelson Farias played a good and intelligent supportive role at midfield.  And Jean-Luc Kamin showed his flexibility as he alternated, with the team’s need, between midfielder and back-up goalie.

Returning student-athletes who played pivotal roles this season were senior co-captain Dan DiGiacobbe who dictated the pace at midfield.  Junior goalkeeper Bryan Rudden, forward Bruno Farias (3rd in the CACC with 15 goals), and Matt DiGiacobbe (team leader in assists for the third consecutive year).  Sophomores Dave Nimroozi and Jason Carty also earned All-Tournament honors for their hustle in the CACC play-offs.

While one might say that the slow start to the season probably jeopardized the team’s chances of playing a major role in its debut in the NCAA Division II, ultimately it was team play that earned these players a 7th place ranking in the Northeast Region – a region crowded with well established, solid soccer programs. 

2002 Recap

Despite a slow start to their season, our 2002 men’s soccer team reached new heights this year, putting its name on the national map for the first time in the team’s history.  The team dropped to 1-4 early on in the season.  Yet the players were not prepared to give up and showed considerable composure and determination in a pivotal overtime loss to nationally ranked Division II Bloomsburg.  After this point, the team went on to win convincingly many games thereafter, securing the CACC title ahead of schedule, winning the CACC-NAIA Independent playoffs, and the taking the NAIA Region X Title by defeating first the U. of Maine-Fort Kent in the semifinal, and then Green Mountain College in the finals. 

Securing the Regional title guaranteed the Lightning its first trip to the National NAIA Tournament, held in Bowling Green, Kentucky.  Goldey-Beacom was seeded #14 in a field of sixteen teams and faced undefeated #3 seed Rio Grande University in the first round.  GBC took the early lead in the match-up, but it was Rio Grande that eventually scored the game winning goal in the second half.  Although the trip to Nationals ended earlier than hoped for, the team’s strong performance against such a well-respected and solid soccer program only served to highlight the strength and the character of the 2002 Lightning squad.

2001 Recap

GBC’s performance in the CACC in 2001 surprised quite a few people, as the team plowed its way to the conference championships. The team played well and strongly, only losing in double overtime of the play-off finals. One of the standout players from 2001 was senior Terry Osborne. For Terry, the drive for success on the soccer field acted as a catalyst in his academic endeavors. Terry graduated last spring and will be missed.

The game to remember is a 6-1 win over a strong Nyack team. This “feast”, against a team of such a high caliber, is unlikely to be repeated neither by GBC, nor by any other CACC contenders in the near future.

In March of 1996, Dr. Michael Finizio joined the Lightning coaching staff as Assistant Coach. Dr. Finizio brought with him a broad foundation of coaching experience, ranging from high school (Archmere Academy, DE), to college (Brandywine College, PA), to club. Upon Olazagasti’s retirement in 1998, Dr. Finizio took over as Head Coach of the Lightning. The following year, Mike Dickey, a professional A-licensed coach, joined the staff as Director of Technical Development.

The GBC soccer program has been successful since its inception. It has won the NAIA Region 19 Conference Title twice, and has been selected to participate in the first round of the NAIA play-offs seven times. The 1999 Season was the only year that GBC finished below the .500 margin, closing the season with a record of 6-12-1. However, the team quickly rebounded in 2000 with a record of 12-7-1 and a trip back to the conference play-offs.