Soccer

Garn named soccer Freshman of the Year at Western New England

By RICHARD A. ROSS

SPRINGFIELD, MA — When outstanding athletes graduate from high school and move on to play at the next level, it’s one school’s loss and another school’s gain. Such is the case with Kienan Garn, whose outstanding play on the soccer pitch during his tenure at Sullivan West helped the Bulldogs to their best season ever, one that included a historic win over longstanding rival John S. Burke Catholic during the 2006 campaign.

Garn has moved on to play at Western New England College, where he is majoring in engineering, and the fiery freshman wasted no time in making his presence felt with the Golden Bears.

This past season, the Western New England College men’s soccer squad posted a 15-6-2 record and captured both the TCCC regular season and tournament crowns in qualifying for the NCAA Division III Championship for the fourth consecutive year.

At the recent fall sports awards banquet, Garn was the honored recipient of the Ed Lindsay ‘78 Freshman-of-the-Year Award.

Making the adjustment to the next level of play hasn’t been easy. At the college level, the talent level is consistently better than what students find in high school. That said, Garn has taken the first step in ratcheting up his game and this award demonstrates his immediate impact.

Given his work ethic and the team’s fine record of performance, it’s likely we haven’t heard the last of his soccer exploits.