Bruno Victal, just the sixth head coach in program history, has completed his seventh season as the head men's soccer coach at Saint Anselm in the 2022-23 academic year.

The Hawks posted a 7-9 record in the 2022 season and matched the 2019 for the highest winning percentage in over a decade. The year began with a 5-0 record, something that had not been done by the program since 2001. The winning streak was extended to five after a 1-0 win over crosstown rival Southern New Hampshire which snapped an 11-match unbeaten streak for the Penmen in the all-time series. On the streak, the Hawks allowed just two goals and posted three clean sheets. Following a 6-1-0 record, the Hawks reached ninth in the United Soccer Coaches East Region poll.

The regionally-ranked Hawks posted a 7-9 record in 2019 under Victal, the squad's highest win total in a decade. Beginning the year with four straight victories, Saint Anselm's hot start was most recently accomplished by the Northeast-10 Conference and ECAC Division II Championship-winning 1999 squad who posted a 4-0 record in its first four games.

In the team's first four games, the Hawks rattled off 14 goals and owned a winning record at home, notching five of the team's seven victories in the friendly confines of Melucci Field. Victal also coached an All-NE10 Rookie Team pick, the program’s first All-NE10 Rookie honoree since 2015.

The 2018 season featured only one defeat by three goals - the remaining losses were by one or two goal margins. The Hawks secured a thrilling 3-2 victory over championship-bound Southern Conn. St. in the season finale.

In 2017, Victal's team finished 3-11-2 overall with four of its losses coming at the hands of nationally-ranked teams. The Hawks upended No. 21 Franklin Pierce at Melucci Field on Sept. 26 for the program's first win against a nationally-ranked opponent in nearly seven years (Oct. 7, 2010). Saint Anselm remained in contention for its first berth in the NE10 Men's Soccer Championship since 2009 until the final week of the regular season. Victal also helped coach senior Dan Kelly and junior Emmet O'Callaghan to spots on the All-NE10 Third Team, the program's first All-NE10 honorees since 2014.

In his first season on the Hilltop, the Hawks went 4-11-1 overall. Victal earned his first-career victory with a 2-1 overtime win over Assumption in the Catholic Cup on Sept. 3. Other highlights from the season include a 1-0 win at Saint Rose on Sept. 24 courtesy of a JD Hayward 88th-minute goal and a 4-1 Senior Day victory over Bentley on Oct. 15.

Victal played soccer for 15 years as part of the Division 1 Academy in Brazil and played three years for the University of Vila Velha (1999-2001). He was a member of the Brazilian National Team for two consecutive years playing in Spain and France, earning a bronze medal at the World University Games in Pama de Mallorca, Spain in 1999. That same year, he was named the best college player in Brazil. Professionally, Victal played for Clube Atletico Taquaritinga, Rio Branco Atletico Clube and locally for the New Hampshire Phantoms.

He has spent the last 13 years working with several youth clubs in New Hampshire and Massachusetts and is currently working as a club director for Nashua World Cup. Victal is a nationally-recognized futsal coach, serving as a current member of the coaching staff for the United States Youth Futsal national teams and as the director of coaching for FutsalNH, one of the largest futsal academies in the country.

He currently resides in Merrimack with his wife, Glaucia Silva, and two kids, Gabriel, and Sofia.

Victal Year-by-Year

Year

Overall Record

NE10 Record/Finish

Postseason

2022

7-9

4-7/T-9th

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2021

6-9-1

3-8-1/T-9th

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2019

7-9

3-9/11th

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2018

1-11-3

1-9-3/14th

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2017

3-11-2

3-9-1/T-10th

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2016

4-11-1

3-9-1/T-11th

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Total (6 seasons)

28-60-7 (.332)

17-51-6 (.270)

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