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Men's Soccer
2008 Season Preview
What the D’Youville College men’s soccer team lacks in experience it makes up for in determination. The Spartans, under second-year head coach Matt McCormick, return just five players from last season’s squad. Three of those five players were freshmen last fall, meaning this year’s Spartans’ roster is chock full of youngsters.
“We will be relying on a bunch of new faces to take the field for us this year,” McCormick said. “We are still in the restructuring phase, and looking to make positive strides toward the future of the program.”
McCormick is looking for big things from sophomore Erik Kastner (North Tonawanda, NY/Niagara-Wheatfield) last season’s scoring leader. “He should be able to control the center of the field and be our field general,” .
Two other sophomores, forward/midfielder Theodore Maul (Machias, NY/Pioneer) and midfielder Andrew Fogelsonger (Depew, NY/Lancaster), will also be counted on to provide leadership.
“With his quickness, up and down the side, he should give some teams trouble,” McCormick said of Maul, who had one goal last season. “I’m relying on Andrew (Fongelsonger) to step up and make his presence felt in the central part of our field, offensively and defensively.”
Senior Adam Huczel (North Tonawanda, NY/North Tonawanda), led all North Eastern Athletic Conference goalkeepers with an average of 9.5 saves per game last season. But Huczel, who started his collegiate career at midfield, will return to that position in his final season.
“Replacing Huczel in goal will be Dan Cornelius (Orangeville, Ont.), a transfer from Sheridan College. “He’ll make a huge impact this season,” McCormick said of his new goalkeeper.
The Spartans will welcome another familiar face in Joseph Tomasi (Buffalo, NY/St. Joseph’s), a forward who won honorable mention all-conference honors as a freshman in 2006.
Other key additions to the 2008 version of the Spartans include midfielder/defender Mitchell Adsit (Cooperstown, NY/Cooperstown), freshman center midfielder Thomas Barlow (Depew, NY/West Seneca Christian) and a pair of European recruits – defender Julian Boaitey (England) and midfielder John Geddis (Northern Ireland).
Other newcomers expected to see plenty of action this year include defender Dave Mazzarella (Palatine Bridge, NY), a transfer from St. Mary’s College in Kansas, and freshmen forwards Harjot King (Clarence, NY/Fredonia) and Josh Dolph (Akron, NY/Akron).
The Spartans will play seven conference games, one against each of the other teams in the NEAC. “Keuka, SUNY Cobleskill and SUNY I.T. are the teams that will provide the biggest competition in our conference,” McCormick said.
D’Youville will open up its 16-game schedule when it hosts the Spartan Cup on August 30-31 at All-High Stadium, 2885 Main Street (behind Bennett High School); Buffalo, NY. The Spartans will take on Pitt-Bradford in the tourney opener at noon August 30th.
McCormick is confident the Spartans will make strides toward becoming a competitive factor in the conference and in Division III.
