BEVERLY, Mass. – Endicott men's soccer head coach Joe Calabrese is proud to announce the hiring of two men's soccer program alumni, Alex Elia '14 and Shintaroh Itoh '16, who will be joining the Gulls' assistant coaching staff for the upcoming Fall 2016 season.
"The greatest ambassadors of the Endicott name and Endicott brand are our alumni,"said Calabrese. "Alex and Shintaroh will be able to share their fondest memories and stories as student-athletes at Endicott with prospective families and recruits. They understand the value of applied learning through the internship experience and know firsthand how special it is to play soccer with a family of brothers and friends at Endicott."
It is this understanding of how the men's soccer program operates on a daily basis and familiarity with the team's game preparation, playing style, practice rhythm, recruiting calendar, program's values and goals that put Elia and Itoh in a good position to step into their respective roles right away.
Here is an introduction to Endicott's newest assistant coaches:
Alex Elia '14, Assistant Coach
Elia, a May 2014 Endicott graduate with a B.S. in Sport Management, was a four-year member of the men's soccer team as a midfielder from 2010-11 to 2013-14 and a two-year captain his junior and senior seasons. In his time wearing the Blue & Green, Elia became the program's all-time leader in games played (79) and amassed 20 points (seven goals, six assists). In that span, Elia twice led the team in assists (2011, 2012), and also paced the Gulls in goals during his rookie campaign.
A Somers, Conn. native, Elia has seven years of coaching under his belt as he spent time as a Senior Staff Counselor at the Pantuoscos Soccer Camp from 2006 to 2012 and served as a Regional Staff Coach for the Boston Breakers in 2014. Elia played club soccer with the Western Massachusetts Pioneers and Seacoast United Phantoms, and also received his Master of Education degree in Secondary Education-English in May 2016 from Endicott's Van Loan School, in addition to receiving his Coaching Certificate at Endicott.
Shintaroh Itoh '16, Assistant Coach
Itoh, a May 2016 Endicott Cum Laude graduate with a B.S. in Sport Management, joins the Endicott staff after spending the past two years starring on the pitch for the Gulls. Itoh helped Endicott to an Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship in 2014 and the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) regular season title in 2015, earning 2015 All-CCC First Team and 2015 NSCAA All-New England Region Second Team honors along the way. Itoh was twice named CCC Offensive Player of the Week in 2015 and was a two-time Endicott Dean's List, CCC Academic All-Conference, and Endicott Academic Varsity Club member in 2014 and 2015 in his career, as well as being recognized as a 2015 NSCAA Division III Men's Scholar All-East Region Second Team honoree.
A Nerima, Tokyo, Japan native, Itoh capped his playing career ranking fifth all-time in assists with 12 in just two seasons for the Gulls after transferring from Ohio Northern University where he helped the Polar Bears to a runner-up finish in the 2012 NCAA Division III National Championship and was named to the All-Tournament Team. Additionally, Itoh twice landed on the Ohio Northern University Dean's List and bringing home All-Ohio Academic All-Conference honors.
Itoh brings a wealth of experience to the coaching sidelines as a Game Day Operation Intern for the Western Mass. Pioneers Soccer Club (2015), Sales and Promotions Department Intern with FC Osaka Professional Soccer Club (2015), Soccer Operations Intern for the New England Revolution (2016), and currently works in Grassroots Marketing for the New England Revolution.
COACH CALABRESE SAYS:
"Our staff, current team, and alumni are fortunate and proud that two men of this quality want to kick start their college coaching careers at their alma mater. This is special stuff. We know they'll continue to serve our soccer program proudly and have a positive impact on the men of Endicott soccer," said Calabrese. For the latest on Endicott Athletics, follow the Gulls on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.