FLUSHING, NY -- For the second time in three seasons, only the CUNY Athletic Conference Champions, York College, qualified for the postseason in 2009. Even with 2009 ECAC Co-Player of the Year Elysee Vilsaint, up front, the Cardinals (12-8) fell in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on the road at Stevens Institute of Technology, 2-0. York should again be contenders for their third title in the past four seasons, but the field looks to be as wide open as ever in the league.
The 2010 CUNYAC / Applebee's Men's Soccer Championship will begin on Wednesday, October 27 with four quarterfinal matches at the higher seeds, before coming to the Metropolitan Oval three days later for the semifinals on Saturday, October 30. The 2010 title will be decided on Saturday, November 6 at the Met Oval in Maspeth, Queens, overlooking the City skyline. From there, the Champions will look to take off in the NCAA Championships the following week.
YORK CARDINALS (12-8, 7-2 CUNYAC)
The Cardinals, the defending CUNYAC champions, will have a different look this season as they begin their title defense in 2010. York was far and away the top offensive team in the CUNYAC last season, but will be without its top two scorers from a year ago, Elysee Vilsaint and Francisco Florez, in 2010.
Instead, the Cardinals hope their defense can lead them to their fourth straight title game appearance. On defense, the Cardinals are anchored by sophomore Jaime Hay, who was a First-Team CUNYAC All-Star and Second-Team ECAC Metro Region selection last season. Sophomore Brian Broadbelt is coming off a strong freshman season and will be back on defense this season as well. In goal, the Cardinals return junior keeper, Samer Abdel-Fattah, who led the conference in shutouts with nine, which was four more than any other keeper in the CUNYAC.
Despite the loss of their top two scorers, York will still have a few potent weapons who should find the back of net often in 2010. 2009 CUNYAC Second-Team All Stars Hugo Cicanois and Ousmane Toure return for York once again. Toure (five goals) and Cicanois (four goals) are the team’s top two returning scorers. The loss of Vilsaint and Florez will be tough to overcome, but York still has a strong core of players who can help the Cardinals repeat in 2010.
BARUCH BEARCATS (7-7-3, 6-1-2)
The Baruch Bearcats have high hopes for another strong season and return enough talent looking to make a run at the 2010 CUNYAC Championship.
Ranford Champagnie, the 2009 CUNYAC Coach of the Year, will rely on seven returning starters led by Valiantsin Kirykovich (2 goals, 2 assists) and defensive specialist Jacob Cohen. Off the bench, the team has plenty of firepower to call upon with Igor Polisski (four goals), Vincent Cruz (four goals) and Brian Wright (2 goals, one assist) all capable of quickly finding the back of the net.
The Bearcats did lose four-time all-star goalkeeper Nelson DiBastiano, but junior Michael Murphy has the ability and talent to provide the defensive presence necessary at the goalkeeper position. Murphy has already shown he is up to the challenge as he posted a nine save shutout in a 2-0 home opener win against Centenary College on September 1.
The schedule is again difficult with strong non-conference opponents such as Plattsburgh State, Farmingdale State , NYU, NYU Poly, and Mount Saint Vincent . Within CUNYAC, the Bearcats play host at the Metropolitan Oval to Brooklyn, CCNY, York, Medgar Evers and fierce rival Hunter.
HUNTER HAWKS (8-11-1, 6-3)
The CUNYAC Championship runner-up will look to their midfield, led by 2009 all-star Aykut Can, senior Mario Baez and 2008 CUNYAC Tournament MVP Danny Vera to lead head coach Jose Cedeno's squad for another run.
MEDGAR EVERS COUGARS (8-10-2, 5-3-1)
The 2010 Medgar Evers Cougars are ready to get back on the pitch in men’s soccer, after losing in the conference semifinals again to York College. This year Coach Stan Harmon and his squad hope to defeat them outright and end their losing streak against the school from Jamaica.
This season features 16 returning players and seven freshmen. The Cougars will feature a new goalkeeper Christopher Welsh, with John Ajirotutu graduating in May. The key returning players are Kyle Stephen, Ancil Porter-Lee, Sharard Sullivan, Travis Pinnock and Sherwin Henry just to name a few. One freshman to look for this season is Nicholas Parbhudial (Hillcrest) who scored the 1st goal of the season on Wednesday night to set the tone of their 9-3 victory over Yeshiva.
The schedule will feature key conference matches vs. Hunter, York, CSI and Baruch just to name a few.
LEHMAN LIGHTNING (6-12, 5-4)
Lehman College made a remarkable return to men’s soccer in 2009, the program’s first at the varsity level since the late ‘90s.Boasting an inexperienced freshman-laden team, the Lightning began the 2009 season 0-9. Then coach Joe Andrè’s offensive and defensive formations began to take effect, the team gained experience and confidence, and an unplanned goalie change sparked the team to a 6-2 finish before its eventual loss in the CUNYAC Quarterfinals to Medgar Evers.
That finish, which included a tough 3-2 loss to Baruch and wins over the ’08 (Hunter) and ’09 (York) CUNYAC champs, combined with Andrè’s first true recruiting class, has him confident for 2010. “Each year I’m looking to recruit four or five top line guys that I can fit in right away,” said Andrè. “This year I had to stop counting at five or six. It was pretty fruitful.”
The main catalyst from that class should be Manhattan Community College transfer Assami Valian. Ironically, his recruitment was finalized despite Andrè never having seen him play. “He should be a goal scorer extraordinaire for us," said Andrè. "His shot is a pro shot.”
True freshman Essenam Agouze will be another impact newcomer. Also expected to contribute right away will be transfers Gilherme Silva and Leonardo de Oliveira. Not to be forgotten amidst the excitement of the fresh faces are returnees Geovanny Arredonde, team MVP Rafael Abbondanza, a likely team captain for his toughness and commitment; and Edward Appah, a solid right back on defense.
Increased goal scoring may have to be the key for Lehman as the goalkeeper position stands as the team’s biggest concern heading into the season. Although first-line keeper Marcos Coto-Batres returns, last year’s late season replacement Michael Hintze, who put together a shutout streak of over 200 minutes, is no longer with the team after choosing to pursue a rigorous academic course load this semester.
“I think we’re looking good,” said Andrè. “We just have to work with the keepers, get them going in terms of the drills, the catches, the dives, whatever.” Regardless, last year’s rocky start is a distant memory and hope certainly springs eternal on the Lehman College campus. “We’re ready to go,” an excited Andrè exclaimed. “We’ll put in the work and barring any unexpected injuries, we’re looking to do big things.”
CCNY BEAVERS (4-12-2, 4-4-1)
The 2010 season opens with lots of youth and high expectations. With an almost entirely renewed lineup that features 14 freshman out of a 25 man roster, 2010 looks to be filled with enthusiasm while being a learning experience for many.
Returning seniors Fisnik Prishtina and Sebastian Ramirez are keen on making this their best season as a Beaver. Ramirez has a personal goal of a full & healthy season. Last year, the Beaver MVP of 2008, was injured for the first half of the season and played only half of the games. They both know that they can rely on junior starters Harrison Francis, Justin Friel, O’Neil Kerille Bruno and Jamal Bagigah to help them with the leadership on a team that is over 50% made up of first year players.
Sophomores Tayfun Kucuk and Matan Maidenberg are both looking to make their mark on the conference, as they are both exceptional athletes at their respective positions of goalkeeper and forward, who now have a year under their belts and know what to expect from their conference rivals. Jonathan Aguirre, a two-sport athlete has earned himself a starting position after his hard work and improvement last season, while moonlighting as the Captain of the Beaver Volleyball team.
The midfield and defense will benefit this season from the maturity and competiveness of sophomores Amir Auwalu and Carlos Islas. Both athletes have earned the respect of their peers as they don the starting uniforms for the first time in their careers.
BROOKLYN BULLDOGS (4-11-2, 2-5-2)
Under second year head coach Rawle Hensford, the Brooklyn College Men’s Soccer team will look to build upon its 2009 campaign, which saw the team earn the eighth seed in the CUNY Athletic Conference tournament. There is reason for optimism this season, as the 2010 edition of the BC Men’s Soccer team returns 11 players from last season’s young squad, including six starters.
The Bulldogs biggest hole to fill this season will be on the defensive side of the ball, as Brooklyn will be without the services of Jean Menesky Magloire, a two-time CUNYAC All-Star selection, who graduated. Looking to fill the void left by Magloire will be junior Jonathan Whitehead and sophomores Miguel Veliz-Fitz and Mario Guerrero. Newcomers Lindsay Hernandez and Devorn Charles will also be relied heavily upon to shore up the defense. Hernandez comes to Brooklyn after transferring from ASA.
The Bulldogs offense will be powered by sophomore Mack Diller, who made an immediate impact to the BC men’s soccer team in his first season. Diller netted three goals, to go along with a team-best three assists, which tied him for the team lead in points with nine in his rookie campaign. “This year we’ll be relying on Mack Diller in the midfield to kick start the attack and support the forward in finishing,” said Hensford.
In between the pipes for the Bulldogs this season will be freshman Stamatis Boundouris. “Boundouris will be strong in goal for us and is a reassuring factor for the team; however our overall strength will be in working collectively to achieve the team objectives and staying mentally sharp in the latter stages of games,” states Hensford.
Brooklyn College will kick off the 2010 season this Friday, September 3rd when the Bulldogs will play host to Maritime College at 4:00 pm. All of Brooklyn’s home games this season will be played on the campus of Kingsborough Community College.
STATEN ISLAND DOLPHINS (3-16, 2-7)
After back-to-back sub par seasons, following an appearance in the 2007 CUNYAC Championship final, the Dolphins seem to be heading in the right direction under third-year head coach Armen Simoniants. The skipper's team has only posted seven wins over the previous two seasons, and failed to qualify for the annual CUNYAC postseason dance a year ago, but things are expected to change, as the Dolphins usher in a new campaign for 2010.
For one, the Dolphins are returning a strong nucleus of players from 2009, players that not only proved they were high on talent, but who, according to Simoniants, are committed towards CSI Soccer, and with off-season improvements made the focus heading in, a tremendous improvement is expected from them.
The anchor in the back will be second year senior Ahmed El-Ghareib. Spending a majority of last season on defense, he will play goalkeeper this season with the Dolphins, and was nothing short of stellar this preseason and scrimmage. El-Ghareib is one of only five upperclassmen on the squad. Graduate student Adam Birnbaum was CSI's Scholar-Athlete of the Year a year ago and should be a stalwart on the wing in the backfield along with second-year senior Dogan Altunsoy, who made 16 appearances a year ago. Junior Kenneth Zaw will also be on the back line, making that unit the most experienced of the team. CSI also returns sophomores Paully Awad and John Tanna along the back line.
Alfred Yeboah, Abraham Vivas, and Orsi Bermudez-Reyes will play the midfield and all are returning sophomores that played in a combined 27 games a year ago. They will be joined by sophomore Lirim Begai, who paced the team with a trio of goals a year ago, sharing him with the team lead. Freshman Dong Luu and Tottenville High School 's Beshoy Askharoun will also spend time in the middle which Simoniants hopes can control the ball effectively and feed quality chances inside.
Perhaps no unit is as bolstered, however, as on the front line, where CSI will go with four freshman, after scoring just 13 goals a season ago over 19 games (0.71 per game). Chris Nistico and Anthony Brucato, teammates at Monsignor Farrell High School will have plenty of chances while Susan Wagner tandem Alen Desevic and Ibrahim Mubaric will battle for time and chances.
St. Peter's alums Stephen Caifa and Michael Massa will both support the back line as freshman, being joined by New Dorp product Stephen Mattei. Altogether, the infusion of new talent could easily be Simoniants' best recruiting effort since he came to the squad just weeks before the 2008 season.
JOHN JAY BLOODHOUNDS (2-14-2, 1-6-2)
The John Jay College of Criminal Justice men’s soccer team is looking to take on all comers as they prepare for the rigors of the 2010 season. Last season, the Bloodhounds finished 2-14-2 (1-7-1 CUNYAC) en route to a tenth place finish in CUNYAC under first year head coach Chris Weeks.
This season, John Jay welcomes back returnee Kareem Roberts. Roberts led the team in scoring last season, netting three goals. Also back this season is senior Steven Castillo who netted a pair of strikes a year ago. Also back this season are team MVP Jeimy Polo, Jordan Glaze, Bryan Kassebaum, Steven Torres, Adrian Orozco, Christian Valdez, Sebastian Hernandez, Omar Herrera and Kemar Brown.
Newcomers include Edward Gonzalez, Ganama Issouf, M. Nasim Allah Morad, Andy Rocher, William Ortiz, Luis Gabriel Flores, Luis Llivisaca, Steven Merino and Henry Espinosa. Two transfers also fill the roster, including Ratko Rakocevic and Anthony Estevez.
The Bloodhounds will play a highly competitive schedule this season and will play their home games at the legendary Metropolitan Oval in Maspeth, N.Y.