MARLBOROUGH, Mass. — The Wheaton College (Mass.) men's soccer team received New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference Men's Soccer Coaching Staff of the Year honors, it was announced by the NEWMAC.
The award was formerly bestowed upon the Head Coach of the honored institution, but was changed to reflect the efforts of the entire coaching staff beginning in 2022. The award marks the fourth time that Wheaton Men's Soccer has been recognized with a top coaching honor by the NEWMAC. Mike Coven was tabbed the Coach of the Year in 2017 and twice prior Matt Cushing was tabbed the top mentor in the league.
The accolade marks the third time that Head Coach Bryan Waggoner has been recognized for his coaching acumen, having previously been named the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2011 and the Virginia Sports Information Directors Coach of the Year in 2013. Waggoner, who is in his eighth year at Wheaton, is joined by his top assistant coach Connor Cushing '25, who is in first year on the staff. Goalkeeper Coach, Josh Sousa, is currently enjoying his ninth season in Norton, while Thomas Gatanis '20 coaches in his fourth year with the Lyons and Ethan Alfano '25 rounds out the staff as the third Wheaton alum on the sidelines.
Wheaton is in the midst of one of the greatest seasons in program history, having completed the regular season with an unbeaten record for the first time in school history, while winning the NEWMAC regular-season crown for the first time since 2014. The Lyons sport a 14-1-4 record with their only blemish coming at the hands of Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the NEWMAC Championship Tournament Semifinals on November 6.
Wheaton dominated conference play, posting a 7-0-1 record, while surrendering just one goal in eight matches for an unthinkable 0.125 goals against average. As impressive as the Lyons' defense has been within conference play, their offense has been stellar as well with a league-high 20 goals in eight contests, while producing 60 corner kicks to outpace the nearest NEWMAC foe by 22.
Overall, Wheaton has been one of the best squads in the nation and the rest of the country has taken notice. The Lyons entered the United Soccer Coaches national poll at number 13 in this year's second survey and were ranked as high as fourth in the nation for their highest showing since 2004. Wheaton is currently slated eighth in the nation and first in Region II. The Lyons own a gaudy .842 winning percentage to stand 11th in NCAA Division III, while placing among the top 20 teams in goal differential (46 - 5th), scoring offense (3.00 - 9th), goals against average (.579 - 11th) and corner kicks (18th).
Wheaton's win total is its highest since finishing the 2014 campaign with a 17-4-2 mark. The Lyons boast some of the best players in the NEWMAC as well with sophomore Gael Vera (Westminster, Mass.) being named NEWMAC Athlete of the Year and senior Leao Nelson (Bar Harbor, Maine) being selected the league's Defensive Athlete of the Year. The pair are part of a school-record total of eight Wheaton players who were chosen for the NEWMAC All-Conference Team, including five First Teamers. Three Lyons are tied for the league lead in goals, while also laying claim to the top three playmakers in assists and the top trio of point-scorers. Senior midfielder Aidan Doyle (Kingston, Mass.) led the NEWMAC in all three offensive categories. Senior keeper Michael O'Gara (Ardmore, Pa.) also made a statement as a First Team selection and stood above all league keepers, with 750 or more minutes played, in goals against average with a 0.680 figure, while placing second with a .800 save percentage. He also posted seven shutouts – all coming against NEWMAC foes.
Wheaton proved its mettle against the nation's elite, recording a 1-1 tie at number 10 Williams College on September 2 and coming back to keep its unbeaten streak intact with a 3-3 draw at No. 18 Brandeis University on September 24. While just one team scored more than one goal this season against the Lyons, Wheaton routinely put the ball in the net against its opponents, scoring multiple goals in 13 of 19 matches, including three or more markers on 11 occasions.
Wheaton earned a berth in the NCAA Championship Tournament and will take on Neumann University in the tournament's first round. The Lyons will host the Knights on Saturday, November 15 at 1:30 p.m. on Keefe Field.
