Trojans have 5 named to All-Conference Team

CALGARY, ALTA., (Oct. 28, 2021) - A 5-win season led to 5 All-Conference selections for the SAIT Trojans men's soccer team.

The handful of Trojans were named as South Division All-Conference honourees on Thursday, and included forwards Nico Gonzalez and Matteo Zanin, midfielders Eduardo Filho and Tysen Chatani along with defender Bradley Atherton. The five helped SAIT to a South Division best 5-0-1 record in a year where they will host the country's best at the 2021 Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Men's Soccer National Championship from Nov. 10-13.

"The recognition we received shows how well-rounded and deep our team is this year," said Trojans coach Connor Brady. "We are good in every position and, collectively, this is a united group that will be hard to play against. I'm very proud of the lads - the work was put in to earn such awards. It was nice to see them recognized for it."

The nods are the first for Gonzalez, Zanin, Atherton and Chatani, while Filho was named for a third time.

Gonzalez is named in his third stint with the Trojans. The now 35-year-old also played for SAIT back in the 2005-06 and 2009-10 seasons. Despite being a decade and a half older than most of his teammates, Gonzalez played a key role in his team finishing first in their division, recording 10 points (3 goals, 4 assists) in six games played - good enough to also earn a Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) All-Canadian selection.

Zanin was a force for the Trojans this season, forcing teams to key on him because of his speed and ability to put the ball in the back of the net. He finished the regular season with a team-high 7 goals.

Filho earns the consideration in his last season of post-secondary eligibility. His abilty to control the play is matched by very few. A leader in every sense of the word, the man they call 'Duda' works hard in practice and in games, setting an example for the younger players on his team. His final season also netted him the ACAC South Division Player of the Year award, as well as a CCAA All-Canadian selection.

Brady calls Chatani a 'technician on the pitch', while lauding the midfielder's creativity and ability to dictate the pace of play going up the field. He's physical and tough to play against, which works for the team in transition.

Atherton had another strong season on the back end for the Trojans. Along with being an exceptional leader and defender, his communication skills and precise nature in how he distributes the ball allows the team to play the style of soccer they want to.