Mount St. Joseph soccer coach Michael St. Martin earned his 300th career victory Friday when Mount St. Joseph defeated Gilman, 2-0, at Gilman. The victory moved Mount St. Joseph into sole possession of second place behind McDonogh in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference.
Mount St. Joseph’s record following the victory was 7-2-5 overall and 6-2-4 in league play. The milestone came during St. Martin’s 30th year coaching soccer at Mount St. Joseph.
St. Martin Reaches 300 Wins at Mount St. Joseph
St. Martin took over as Mount St. Joseph’s coach in 1997 after a three-year stint at North County High School in Anne Arundel County. His tenure has included Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference championships in 2001, 2005 and 2009.
“It just means that I’ve coached for a long time,” St. Martin said, noting that he took over the reins at St. Joe in 1997 after a three-year stint at North County High School in Anne Arundel County. “It also means that I’ve had great players and assistant coaches.” His coaching staff this season included Joe Walker, Mike Linsenmeyer and Torren Aikens.
Mount St. Joseph also finished 8-0 during the 2020 pandemic season, which was not sanctioned by the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association.
A Mount St. Joseph Coaching Legacy
As a standout two-sport athlete at Calvert Hall, St. Martin learned from Bill Karpovich and Joseph “Snooky” Binder. Karpovich won 422 soccer matches from 1967-97 and 19 championships, while Binder claimed 460 victories and 11 championships during his baseball coaching career.
Rich Zinkand, a former teammate of St. Martin’s at Calvert Hall and the Calvert Hall coach, praised the Mount St. Joseph coach’s teams. “Mike’s teams are always good technically, play extremely hard and are disciplined,” Zinkand said. “Mike and I learned a lot of lessons from Coach Karpovich. The St. Joe players are fortunate to play for a coach who is a great role model and someone who cares about his players.”
St. Martin coached his sons Brett St. Martin and Brian St. Martin. Both won Big Ten titles while playing for the University of Maryland, and Brett also won a national championship as a starter. Brooke St. Martin was a swimmer at UMBC.
Kraig Loovis, Mount St. Joseph’s athletic director, said St. Martin’s influence extends beyond the soccer field. “Mike St. Martin’s impact on Mount St. Joseph goes far beyond the soccer field,” Loovis said. “His 30 years as our head coach, nearly three decades in our classrooms, and countless relationships with student-athletes have made him an important part of the fabric of ‘The Mount.’”
“His greatest legacy is the young men he has challenged, mentored, and helped develop along the way,” Loovis added.
MSB Analysis
St. Martin’s 300th career victory marks a milestone during his 30th year leading Mount St. Joseph soccer. The 2-0 win at Gilman also moved the team into sole possession of second place in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference, with the team’s 7-2-5 overall and 6-2-4 league records established after the victory.
Source: Original report
