Gator men's soccer program picked 8th in Skyline pre-season poll
Albany, NY--The Sage Colleges is ready to take to the pitch in men's soccer this fall. Head Coach Kyle Clancy worked hard in his first year at the College and the fruits of his labors have paid off with the arrival of 26 young men to fill the program's first varsity men's soccer roster. With news of his recruiting efforts spreading around the league, the 2010 Sage Gators have been picked to finish eighth in the race for the Skyline Conference Championship in the league's 11-team field.
The 2010 Gators will open their season on September 3-4 at the Oswego State College Classic, facing the host Lakers in the season opener on September 3 at 3:30 p.m. Sage's home opener is slated for Tuesday, September 14 at 4:30 p.m. when the Gators host the Colonels of Curry College in a non-conference match to be held on the campus of Albany Academy for Boys.
In 2008, St. Joseph's College captured its first Skyline men's soccer title with an upset victory in the conference championship game. Last season, the Golden Eagles captured a second straight title as the tournament's top seed. This season, the target is squarely on St. Joseph's as the Skyline coaches have selected the Golden Eagles as the conference's unanimous preseason favorite.
Following a grueling non-conference schedule, St. Joseph's entered Skyline Conference play with a 2-7 record last season. The schedule prepared the Golden Eagles well for Skyline play as the team went 8-0 in the conference and carried a 13-8 record into the NCAA tournament. Head coach Gary Smith, entering his 25th season, returns a strong nucleus from last year's team. St. Joseph's outscored its conference foes 36-1 in eight regular-season games. The defense, anchored by graduated senior goalkeeper Mike Dougherty, recorded seven shutouts in Skyline play. Returning defenders K.J. LaBarbera and Mike Carroll also earned All-Skyline honors. The potent offense was paced by Skyline Conference Rookie of the Year John Dettori, who led the league with 19 goals. Stephan Zaech rebounded from an injury-plagued sophomore season to finish with 15 goals and a conference co-leading 13 assists. The Golden Eagles should be solid throughout their lineup as they aim for a Skyline three-peat.
Farmingdale State, a unanimous choice to finish second, is expected to give St. Joseph's a strong challenge for the title. The Rams went 6-2 in conference play last season, with both losses coming in overtime. One of those overtime losses was a 1-0 setback at St. Joseph's. With a home game against the Golden Eagles this season, Farmingdale State might be able to turn the tables. The Rams had a strong finish to their season as they advanced to the championship game of the ECAC Metro Tournament. Head coach Chuck Schimpf hopes to carry that success over to 2010. With the top five goal scorers back from a year ago, Farmingdale should have one of the conference's top offenses. Senior forward Ryan Paul earned All-Skyline honors after scoring 14 goals last season. The Rams will have to replace three players who earned all-conference honors as seniors - goalkeeper Patrick Gubbins, defender Mat Arthurs and midfielder Frank Volante.
SUNY Old Westbury and SUNY Maritime were picked third and fourth respectively. Old Westbury, which fell to St. Joseph's in the Skyline championship game, must replace Skyline Player of the Year Fabian Santibanez (11 goals, 13 assists, 35 points). Maritime, which finished fourth last season, returns three all-conference players in Cesur Alagoz, Tom Federico and Andrew Rahner.
SKYLINE CONFERENCE MEN'S SOCCER
2010 PRESEASON COACHES' POLL
1. St. Joseph's-L.I. (10) 100
2. Farmingdale State (1) 91
3. Old Westbury 77
4. Maritime 69
5. NYU-Poly 61
6. Mount Saint Mary 57
7. Bard 52
8. Sage 33
9. Purchase 30
10. Yeshiva 18
11. Mount Saint Vincent 17
(first-place votes in parentheses)
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