Men's Soccer
Coaches
Head Coach P.J. Gondek
P.J. Gondek has guided the Blue Devils for the past nine seasons. His conference coaching won-loss percentage of .685 (55-24-5) and his overall percentage of .649 (109-55-17) rank third in the storied history of Fredonia State men's soccer.
Over his nine seasons, Gondek has coached three All-Americans, 16 All-Region players, 38 All-SUNYAC players and one SUNYAC Tournament MVP. He has also added to a string of 16 straight non-losing seasons -- among the longest non-losing streaks in NCAA Division III.
Three seasons during Gondek's coaching tenure stand among the finest in program history.
For sheer drama, the 2005 season will forever rank near the top of any Blue Devil all-time list. Following a penalty kick shootout loss to Brockport in the SUNYAC semi-final game, the Blue Devils were awarded an NCAA at-large bid -- the start of an improbable run on the strength of three straight overtime wins. First came a 4-3 victory over Carnegie Melon at the John Carroll Regional, then a 1-0 win over regional host John Carroll. Next up was another Regional host, Calvin College, in snowy Grand Rapids, Mich. The teams play scoreless soccer through two overtimes before the Blue Devils claimed a 3-2 victory in penalty kicks and advance to the national quarterfinals, where they fell 2-0 to to eventual NCAA finalist Gustavus Adolphus. The Blue Devils finished with an 17-4-4 record, the third time the men have reached the 17-win plateau. At the conclusion of the tournament Fredonia State was named as the #15 team in the final regular season poll.
Despite losing the SUNYAC championship game in 2006, that season also will be remembered for another penalty-kick victory. It came in the 2006 ECAC Upstate New York championship game against host Oneonta (which was playing its first season at the NCAA Division III level after several seasons as a Division I team). The Blue Devils outperformed the Red Dragons in the PK-round, 3-0, to reclaim the ECAC Upstate title for the first time since 1999.
The 2007 season saw the Blue Devils post a 9-1-1 SUNYAC regular season record (12-7-2 overall and earn the tournament's top seed and a first-round bye. The Blue Devils edged Cortland 1-0 in the semifinals and moved on to meet Plattsburgh for the title, the Blue Devils' second straight SUNYAC championship game appearance and the fourth during Gondek's nine-year tenure. The Blue Devils and Cardinals battled to a scoreless tie after 110 minutes. Fredonia State then claimed the SUNYAC title with a 4-2 advantage in the penalty-kick round and earned an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. But unlike their phenomenal NCAA run two years prior, the Blue Devils were ousted by Hobart, 3-0, in the University of Rochester Regional. SUNYAC awards rained down nonetheless. Gondek being named 2007 SUNYAC Coach of the Year while six players were chosen to the All SUNYAC Team. Three of the six -- seniors Lee Wilson, Trevor Ianni, and Rob Esposito -- were All-Northeast Region selections.
The loss of those three and three other senior starters from 2007 prefaced the 2008 season. The result was a 9-9 overall record and a rare vacation from post-season competition.
Gondek's familiarity with soccer in New York State extends beyond his nine seasons at Fredonia State. He played collegiately at Cortland State, where he earned a bachelor's degree and master's degree in physical education. After receiving his college degree, Gondek was hired as boys' head soccer coach at Seton Catholic High School in Plattsburgh, N.Y., where he inherited a team that had been below .500 the season before he took over. In 1995, Gondek guided Seton Catholic in the New York State Class B quarterfinals.
He then returned to Cortland State to complete a master's degree in physical education which led to a position a as the men's assistant soccer coach at Cortland starting in the spring of 1999. He then returned to Plattsburgh -- this time as an assistant coach of the Plattsburgh State Cardinals -- and was on the coaching staff when the Cardinals won the 1999 SUNYAC championship and advanced into the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Gondek has received coaching licenses from two organizations. He has a national diploma and an advanced national diploma from the National Soccer Coaches of America. He also holds a prestigious Class A license from the United States Soccer Federation. To further familiarize himself with international soccer, Gondek has traveled to England in order to attend training sessions conducted by English professional clubs, including Manchester City.
Gondek has coached for Western Region in the men's open division of the Empire State Games and won gold medals in 2005 and 2006. He is the coaching director of the Chautauqua County-based affiliate of the Black Watch Southern Tier soccer club (formed in 2009). He teaches classes in the Fredonia State Department of Sport Management and Exercise Science, and resides in Fredonia with his wife, Alison, the director of guidance at Silver Creek Central School, and their 3-year old daughter Annie.
716-673-3366
Assistant Coach Bryon Thoin
Bryon Thoin is in his fourth season as a Fredonia State assistant coach after a four-year playing career for the Blue Devils from 2002-2005. He co-captained the 2004 and 2005 teams and was chosen First Team All-SUNYAC in 2005. Thoin played in one SUNYAC championship game, one ECAC tournament game and was instrumental to the Devils 17-4-4 season in 2005 which included three NCAA tournament wins en route to the quarterfinal round. During the 2005 season, the Blue Devils -- with Thoin as defensive quarterback -- shut out 19 of 25 opponents.
Thoin is a 2007 graduate of SUNY Fredonia, and holds a Bachelor's of Science degree in sport management and a Bachelor's of Art degree in history. He had added a Master's Degree in sport administration. Thoin comes from a soccer family. His father, Mike, is the head coach at St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute in Buffalo, one of the top boys' soccer programs in Western New York. Bryon's sister Meghan was the captain of the women's soccer team as a senior in 2008, and their younger brother David is entering his sophomore season in the men's program.
Assistant Coach Dan Smith
Dan Smith is in his fifth season as a Blue Devil assistant coach. A graduate of Buffalo State, Smith was a two-year starter for the Bengals including participating in the NCAA tournament twice during that time. He owns a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial technology. Prior to college, he attended Lewiston-Porter High School, where he was a First Team All Western New York selection and was chosen for the Western New York Select team.
Smith holds a United States Soccer Federation Class E coaching license. He coaching experience includes youth soccer at various levels for the Northern Chautauqua Soccer Association, three seasons at Dunkirk High School, and two seasons (current) as an assistant coach with the Boys U-17 Riverside Express premier team.
Recently appointed as Director of Operations for the local chapter of Black Watch Southern Tier Soccer Club, Smith resides in Dunkirk with his wife, Carol, and their two children, Ian and Rachel.
The Program
The Fredonia State men's soccer program is truly one of the Northeast's premier college programs. With a .700+ winning percentage over the program's 50-year history, Fredonia carries a long tradition of success. Fredonia State appeared in the NAIA tournament from 1971 through 1976, the ECAC Upstate tournament in 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1994, 2000 and 2001, and 2006, and won the ECAC championship in 1981, 1998 and 1999, and 2006. Fredonia was crowned SUNYAC champions in 1984, 1986, 1987 and 1995, 1996, 1997, 2007 and received NCAA tournament bids in 1984, 1985, 1987 and 1995, 1996, 1997, and 2005, 2007 including trips to the Final Four in 1985 and 1986 and an Elite Eight appearance in 2005. Since their first year of competition in 1959, the Blue Devils have placed 122 players on the All-SUNYAC team, earned 68 All-Region titles and crowned 15 All-Americans. A Fredonia State player has received the SUNYAC Player of the Year award eight times, and the SUNYAC Coach of the Year award has gone to a Fredonia State coach five times.