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Seventh-year head coach guided Skyhawks to program-record nine NE-10 victories in 2014
EASTON, Mass. (November 6, 2014) – Stonehill College head men's soccer coach Jim Reddish has been named the Northeast-10 Conference Coach of the Year, the league office announced yesterday.
Reddish guided Stonehill to one of its most successful seasons in program history this fall, as the Skyhawks went 11-6-1 and 9-4 in NE-10 play. Stonehill's 11 wins this season were the most since 1993, while the nine conference victories set a new program record. Reddish becomes just the second coach in program history to be honored as NE-10 Coach of the Year, as the late Ernie Branco, Reddish's former mentor, was recognized in 1985.
Stonehill, which was picked to finish 11th in the NE-10 Preseason Coaches poll, exceeded expectations with a fourth-place finish, as the Reddish-led Skyhawks hosted an NE-10 Championship home game for the first time since 1994.
Stonehill's improved offense was the driving force behind the drastic turnaround this season. Last year's squad managed just 13 goals in 16 games en route to a 5-10-1 overall record. The 2014 Skyhawks nearly tripled that total, finding the back of the net 35 times (5th in NE-10) over the course of 18 games. After scoring 3+ goals in a game just once last season, Stonehill accomplished the feat on eight occasions this fall. In addition, the Skyhawks were shut out just three times this season compared to eight blankings in 2013.
The 2014 campaign produced many memorable moments, including Stonehill's first-ever victory over Franklin Pierce University on October 8th. The Skyhawks had been 0-16 all-time against the Ravens, but freshman forward Trevor Torres' (Swansea, Massachusetts/La Salle Academy) game-winning header goal in the 82nd minute completed Stonehill's comeback from a 2-0 first half deficit. Reddish and the Skyhawks erased three other two-goal deficits, winning two of those contests.
Reddish earns NE-10 Coach of the Year honors after leading Stonehill to its highest win total since 1993 (11) and its first home playoff game since 1994. |
Stonehill also posted its first victory over archrival Bentley University since 2005, a 1-0 triumph at Skyhawk Field on September 24th. Reddish's squad displayed a flair for the dramatic this season, winning eight contests by a one-goal margin, including four straight to end the regular season. The Skyhawks went 6-1 down the stretch to secure the NE-10's fourth seed, the program's highest finish since the league expanded in 2000. Stonehill also registered its highest goals per game average (1.94) and best goal differential (+4) since 2000.
On October 28th, Stonehill clinched a berth in the NE-10 Championship for the first time since 2011 with a 4-3, double overtime victory at Saint Michael's College after overcoming deficits of 2-0 and 3-2 in the second half. The Skyhawks followed that up with a 3-2, comeback win against Le Moyne College on Senior Day, before falling to Merrimack, 2-1, in the NE-10 quarterfinal round.
Now in his seventh season in charge at Stonehill, Reddish owns a career record of 49-63-9 (.442), including a 33-52-6 (.396) mark in NE-10 play. In 2010, his third season at the helm, Reddish led the Skyhawks back to the NE-10 Championship for the first time since 1999. The following campaign, Stonehill posted its first winning season since 1997 (10-9-0), and made its second consecutive trip to the NE-10 playoffs.
In his seven seasons, Reddish has overseen the development of eight All-Conference performers, including Christopher Agan, '12, who was a three-time All-NE-10 third team defender, and Michael White, '12, a first team selection at forward in 2011, in addition to four All-Rookie team honorees. Stonehill's All-NE-10 picks this fall include junior Drew Montano (Avon, Connecticut/Avon), a second team midfielder, senior Tyler Brondyk (Mansfield, Massachusetts/Mansfield), a third team forward, and freshman Connor O'Brien (Guilderland, New York/Guilderland), who earned an All-Rookie team selection as a midfielder.
A 1996 graduate of Stonehill, Reddish played midfield and forward for Branco from 1992-95. He was a member of teams that made NE-10 Championship quarterfinal appearances all four years.
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