Where Are They Now? CCSU

Ocala, FL – Three players head back to Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, CT: senior midfielder Stephen Walmsley, senior goalkeeper Joe Abele, and 2021 All Southern Conference Team junior defender Ben Knight. Both Walmsley and Abele were NEC All-Conference Second Team members a season ago. Walmsley also a captain at CCSU, assisted on the game-winning goal in overtime in a 4-3 win at Sacred Heart on Oct. 13. Stephen has been a part of the Stampede since the clubs inception accumulating three division titles and a conference champhionship.

In goal the Blue Devils return senior Josef Abele, who had a standout season in his first year as a starter for CCSU. Abele posted an overall record of 9-4 with a 6-1 mark in NEC play. He had seven total shutouts (he also shared one) with four of them coming against conference opponents. Abele posted a 1.18 goals against average with a save percentage of .797 in his first season in goal and earned All-Conference Second Team honors.

On top of being selected to the 2021 All Southern Conference Team, Knight saw action in all every game this season for the Stampede and recorded one assist. Ben has been with the Stampede for the past two seasons accumulating two division titles and a conference championship.

The Central Connecticut men’s soccer team was picked to finish first in the Northeast Conference preseason coaches’ poll released on August 19th. Central won the regular season and hosted the Northeast Conference Championship a year ago as the league’s top seed. The Blue Devils sported a 6-1-0 record in the NEC last season and finished 9-9-1 overall. CCSU earned three first place votes to spot them on top of the poll followed by Fairleigh Dickinson and St. Francis U in a tie for second. The Blue Devils open the 2021 campaign on August 29 at home vs. Stony Brook at 7 p.m.