The NYIT men’s soccer team played one of the best seasons in program history, with a 14-4-2 overall record.

Senior Danilo Hernandez scored the game-winning goal for NYIT men’s soccer at the 2011 East Coast Conference (ECC) Tournament Championship on Nov. 4 at C.W. Post.

The Bears defeated the No. 6 Pioneers 1-0 to win their first ECC title and fourth overall conference championship. It was their 11th shutout of the season—two games shy of the school record of 13 held by the 1985 NYIT squad.

“Danilo’s goal was key,” says Head Coach Carlos Del Cid (B.S. ’97). “It set the momentum for the game. The wind was a huge factor for us, even though we didn’t play well in the second half. But our defense did a great job keeping C.W. Post at bay.”

Junior goalkeeper Joe Caccavale earned the win with two saves.

And while NYIT’s postseason run came to an early end six days later, falling 4-1 to ECC foe St. Thomas Aquinas in the first round of the 2011 NCAA Division II Tournament, the Bears scored some notable successes:

• Pierre Sy, Javier Gallardo, and Guillermo Fuentes were named to the second team All-ECC after anchoring a defense that shut out 11 opponents. They helped the Bears achieve a perfect home record and limited opponents to just 17 goals. Sy also tied for first in the league with two game-winning goals, while Gallardo was named the ECC Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.
• Co-captains Matthew DiDonna and Vinny Caccavale earned first team All-ECC accolades, combining for 17 goals and nine assists. Six of DiDonna’s team-leading 10 goals were game-winners.
• In addition to its undefeated home record (11-0-0), the men’s soccer team produced one of the best seasons in program history, with a 14-4-2 overall mark and a 5-1-1 ECC record.

This year’s bid to the NCAA Tournament was NYIT’s fifth, with the 1985 team making the Bears’ first-ever trip and advancing all the way to the Final Four. Since then, NYIT men’s soccer has earned four NCAA berths—2003, 2005, 2007, and 2011—all under Del Cid’s direction.

“Coach Del Cid and his team worked extremely hard this year and it paid off,” says Director of Athletics Clyde Doughty Jr. (B.S. ’81, M.S. ’96, M.P.S. ’98). “While our two seniors played a major role in the ECC tournament championship, we’re looking forward to continued success next year as most of our starters will remain with the team.”

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