Editor's Note: The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference is celebrating its 40th anniversary season in 2020-21. Throughout this summer, the conference will be announcing all-anniversary teams for each sport it currently sponsors. In conjunction, the Marist Athletics Department will highlight its achievements from the MAAC era.
Previous Installments: Men's Basketball | Women's Basketball |
Softball |
Baseball |
Swimming & Diving |
Indoor Track & Field |
Tennis |
Women's Lacrosse |
Men's Lacrosse |
Water Polo |
Outdoor Track & Field |
Women's Rowing |
Cross Country
POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – The Marist men's soccer team has been a part of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference for over 20 years, since 1997, and the Red Foxes have been able to make quite a name for themselves over that span.
Marist began a dominant run in 2000, when they defeated Fairfield 3-2 in an overtime thriller, to secure the programs first MAAC Championship. Sean Murphy was named MVP, after an outstanding performance helping lead the Red Foes to victory.
From there, Marist won two more MAAC Championships in the next five years, quickly making a mark in the program record books.
Marist was back in the title game in 2002, after a record of 6-3 in conference play. The Red Foxes defeated #2 Fairfield in the first round in a shootout, but then fell to Loyola in the championship game.
This taste wasn't enough for Marist, as they would not settle for anything but a ring. In 2005, the Red Foxes played to an 11-8 record (6-3 MAAC), and entered the postseason as the third seed. Marist defeated Saint Peter's 2-1 in the semifinals, and then took down Rider in the Championship, securing the program's second MAAC title. Marist went on to put up a great fight against UConn in the NCAA Tournament, before eventually falling 2-1 in overtime.
The Red Foxes went back-to-back in 2005, securing the repeat after another 6-3 record in conference play. They entered the postseason as an underdog once again, three seed), and defeated #2 Loyola and #1 Fairfield in subsequent rounds. Keith Detelj earned his second consecutive Championship MVP, helping Marist earn its third MAAC title in program history.
In total, Marist's three MAAC titles ranks third among current MAAC schools, as does the school's four MAAC Championship appearances. The program has had a ton of great success, moments, and players in the years to come, many of which can be found below.
Keith Detelj: Detelj is perhaps the finest two-sport athlete in Marist history. In soccer, he holds the program's records for goals and points since it went Division I in 1981. Detelj was a two-time MAAC Tournament Most Valuable Player who led the Red Foxes to their first two NCAA Tournament appearances in program 2004 and 2005. In those two seasons, Detelj was also named First Team All-MAAC. He earned All-MAAC honors all four years of his career, as he was named Second Team All-MAAC and to the MAAC All-Rookie Team in 2003, and was a Second Team All-MAAC selection in 2006. At the 2007 Marist Athletics Department Senior Awards Banquet, Detelj shared Male Sportsperson of the Year honors with men's basketball standout Jared Jordan, who led the nation in assists as a junior and senior. Detelj was also a lacrosse standout who was named MAAC Tournament MVP when Marist made its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2005.
Ben Castor: A multiple time All-MAAC player, Castor played a key role in Marist's back-to-back championships in 2004 and 2005. He was named MAAC Defensive Player of the Year in both of those seasons, and had huge defensive performances in Marist's two NCAA Tournament appearances.
Allen Gavilanes: There is so much to say about Gavilanes. The only current Marist player on the list, Gavilanes has done enough in just three seasons to be recognized by the MAAC. In his first season in 2017, Gavilanes was named not only MAAC Rookie of the Year, but also MAAC Player of the Year. His first three seasons, he has made the All-MAAC First Team every time. His nine assists in 2017 rank among the MAAC leaderboards for the most assists in a single season. He is also already etched in pencil in the Marist record books, as his 22 career assists are third all-time, and the most in the MAAC era. He is also ninth on the program's all-time points list (62), and is set to join the top-10 in all-time goals with just two more.
Joe Crespo: Crespo played from 1998-2002, right at the beginning of Marist's tenure in the MAAC. He played for the team's first MAAC title team in 2000. Crespo was named MAAC Player of the Year in 2000, playing a major role in that first championship. He currently sits in second place on Marist's single-season points list since the Red Foxes joined the MAAC, with 32 in a record setting 2002. He ranks 12th on the MAAC's career assist list, totaling 20 throughout his four years.
Krystian Witowski: Witowski is best remembered for being the program's first MLS draftee. It goes without saying that he also had an outstanding career as a Red Fox. He was named All-MAAC after each of his four seasons, and was also named All-Region in three of those years. In 2010, he led Marist in points (24), assists (six), game-winning goals (four), and tied for the team lead in goals (nine). For his career, he had 17 goals and 10 assists in 51 career matches.
Head Coach Bobby Herodes: Herodes led the Marist men's soccer program for its first 10 years in the MAAC (1997-2006), and led the Red Foxes to three conference championships in a six-year span (2000, 2004, 2005). He was named MAAC Coach of the Year in 2002, when the Red Foxes advanced to the conference final, giving the program four berths in the MAAC championship game between 2000-05.
It is hard to narrow down all the great players that have come through the men's soccer program in the last 20 years to just five players. Here is a list of names that were considered for the 40th anniversary team, and thus honorable mentions:
Tomislav Rogic, Carlos Debrito, Brian Garafola, Sean Murphy,
Samad Bounthong,
Cameron Harr, Bruno Machado, Dave Musinski, Josh Faga, Anthony Graci, and Stephan Brossard.
1997: Mike Jacobs, MAAC Coach of the Year
2000: Joe Crespo, MAAC Player of the Year
2002: Bruno Machado, MAAC Co-Rookie of the Year
2002: Bobby Herodes, MAAC Coach of the Year
2004: Ben Castor, MAAC Defensive Player of the Year
2005: Ben Castor, MAAC Defensive Player of the Year
2015: Cameron Harr, MAAC Co-Rookie of the Year
2016: Cameron Harr, MAAC Offensive Player of the Year
2017: Allen Gavilanes, MAAC Offensive Player of the Year and MAAC Rookie of the Year
2019: Samuel Ilin, MAAC Goalkeeper of the Year
Goals: 1. Zenone Naitza, 66 (1975-78) 2. Keith Detelj, 36 (2003-06) 3. Firmino Naitza, 34 (1975-78) 4. Stephan Brossard, 30 (2009-12) 4. Brian Garafola, 30 (1998-2001) 4. Tim Trotta, 30 (1971-75)
Assists: 1. Zenone Naitza, 39 (1975-78) 2. Firmino Naitza, 23 (1975-78) 3.
Allen Gavilanes, 22 (2017-) 4. Tim Trotta, 21 (1971-75) 5. Joe Crespo, 20 (1998-2002)
Points: 1. Zenone Naitza, 171 (1975-78) 2. Firmino Naitza, 91 (1975-78) 3. Keith Detelj, 89 (2003-06) 4. Tim Trotta, 81 (1971-75) 5. Stephan Brossard, 79 (2009-12)
Save Percentage: 1. Carlos DeBrito, .912 (1998-2001) 2. Mike Valenti, .785 (2001-04) 3. Daniel Owens, .764 (2005-07) 4. Mark Rajovic, .756 (2014-17) 5. Joe Pilla, .738 (2009-10)
Goals Against Average: 1. Mark Rajovic, 1.39 (2014-17) 2. Carlos DeBrito, 1.48 (1998-2001) 3. Joe Pilla, 1.54 (2009-10) 4. Mike Valenti, 1.58 (2001-04) 5. Daniel Owens, 1.62 (2005-07)
Wins: 1. Mark Rajovic, 31 (2014-17) 2. Andrew Homola, 30 (1979-82) 3. Mike Valenti, 19 (2001-04) 4. Carlos DeBrito, 18 (1998-2001) 5. Joe Pilla, 16 (2009-10)
