Brendan Whitson Featured In Daily Auburn Voice
Buzzards Bay, MA --- Highlighted by junior Brendan Whitson's (Auburn, MA) first-team selection, Worcester State had four men's soccer players who captured All-MASCAC accolades in a vote by the leagues eight head coaches this past week as announced by league publicist Jim Seavey.
Senior DJ Gustafson (Webster, MA) along with junior classmates Alex Wolfel (Unionville, CT and Kyle Venne (Ludlow, MA) all received second-team nods.
Whitson, who transferred this past season after two standout years at Nichols, led the Lancers with nine goals and 23 points. As of this past week, Whitson finished the regular season second in the MASCAC in points, third in markers and tied for fifth with five assists to his credit.
In 54 career games, Whitson has 26 goals, eight helpers and 60 points as a collegiate student-athlete.
After battling injuries at the beginning of this season, Wolfel helped pace the Blue and Gold to the league playoffs by notching at least one point in eight of his last 10 games – including the lone marker in a 1-1 double overtime draw against Mass Maritime and one of the squads three goals in a 3-1 must-win game over MCLA.
With seven goals and four assists to his credit on the campaign, Wolfel cracked the top 10 on WSU's all-time scoring list as he now has 19 tallies and eight helpers for 46 points in his three-year career. The first-team All-MASCAC selection in 2011 ended the campaign fifth in the league in both goals and points (18).
Gustafson enjoyed a stellar year starting in all 17 games for Worcester State at center midfield. The three-time captain and 2010 All-MASCAC second team pick, came all the way back from a serious leg injury that he suffered three games into the 2011 season.
Staring in all 71 games that he has played in his five-year career, Gustafson hangs up his Lancer uniform with career totals of three goals and two assists for eight points.
Venne, who transferred in from Springfield Technical Community College, started 10 of 11 games at center back. He helped anchor a back line that surrendered just six tallies in their final six MASCAC contests for a 0.885 goals against average which includes a scoreless tie with Bridgewater State and a 1-0 double-overtime shutout over Fitchburg State.
Under the direction of third-year head coach Jason Willis, Worcester State ended the season at 4-11-2 overall and 2-3-2 in the MASCAC. The Lancers earned their second-straight postseason berth and were defeated, 2-1, by Bridgewater State in the quarterfinal round of the conference tournament.