Expectations High for Men’s Soccer; Ducks Eye Seventh Straight NCAA Tournament Berth

When they take to the field, the second-ranked Stevens Institute of Technology Ducks will be eyeing an unprecedented seventh straight trip to the NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship after having the most successful year in school history in 2008. After reaching the national championship game a season ago, Stevens will undoubtedly have a target on its back. But that is nothing new for the Ducks, who have posted a remarkable 127-16-17 record over the last seven seasons.

Head Coach Tim O’Donohue (Hoboken, N.J.) is the winningest active Division III coach and his Ducks are just one of three programs in the nation that finished ranked in the final National Soccer Coaches Association Top 25 Poll each of the last five years.

“We are proud of the tradition of success, and our alumni and upperclassmen have set the bar extremely high,” O’Donohue said. “The consistency we have displayed is more important than anything else and we hope to maintain that consistency this season.”

The 2009 season will most definitely be a challenge for the Ducks as they have several big holes to fill in graduated seniors Jason Nachman (Johnson City, N.Y.), Jeremy Lippel (West Orange, N.J.), Craig Moquin (Breinigsville, Pa.), and Peter Montalvo (Cranford, N.J.). Nachman was one of the best defenders in the history of the program and held together one of the nation’s top defenses. Lippel was a dynamic scorer who was third on the team in goals and points and sent the national championship game with Messiah College to overtime with a fantastic tally late in the second half. Moquin was a fifth-year senior who graduated among the program leaders in assists and always came up big when it mattered most, and Montalvo provided huge minutes late in his senior year along the back line and midfield.

Though the Ducks lost a lot, they return plenty and Coach O’Donohue has an arsenal of talent ready to step in and prove themselves on the field.

“There is no denying that we lost several very good players from last year’s team,” acknowledged the head coach. “[And] it may take some time for their replacements to get their feet wet as it did a few years ago, but I am absolutely confident we have the depth to reload and be a strong team.”

Goalkeeper
Junior Zach Carr (Carmel, Ind.) comes off a spectacular season in which he made 72 saves, recorded 13 shutouts, and had a record of 19-3-4. In his two years he is 36-4-7 with 23 shutouts, and 119 saves. Carr is a two-time All-Empire 8 selection and has developed into a big-time leader. In last season’s Sectional round of the NCAA’s, Carr was huge, stopping six of the 10 penalty kicks he saw, keying the Ducks’ advancement to the national semifinals. He ended the year ranked seventh in the nation in goals-against average (0.455). Behind Carr is sophomore Ethan Graham (Sulton, Mass.). Graham impressed as a freshman and continues to push Carr to perform well. The Sulton, Mass. native had a fantastic spring season and should definitely see more minutes this year.

Defense
The Stevens defense was one of the best in the country, ranking fifth in goals-against average (0.44) and seventh in shutout percentage (0.62). Though the Ducks lose Nachman, they bring back a lot of talent along the backline and have several game-tested players ready to step in.

Leading that group will be seniors Chris Faustino (Union, N.J.) and Josh Williams (Houston, Texas). Faustino started 25 games for the Ducks last year and is always one of the most talented players on the pitch. He possesses great speed, grit, and skill and is always ready to make a run up the field as demonstrated by his one goal and four assists in 2008. Williams is as tough as they come. The senior gutted through a serious shoulder injury last year and was able to make 19 starts in the center of the Stevens defense and he will be looked upon to be a vocal leader and help fill the void left by Nachman. Faustino was a first-team all-conference performer and Williams was tabbed honorable mention.

In addition to the seniors, Coach O’Donohue will use a variety of players to protect the goal. Junior Michael Quijano (Jersey City, N.J.), a center midfielder last year, will see time on the left or right side as will junior Bryan De Faria (Hillside, N.J.). Quijano started 15 games last year and De Faria saw action in all 26. Quijano is skilled and smart with the ball, and De Faria earned more and more time with solid, aggressive play as last season grew.

Senior Kevin Matyger (Newark, Del.), junior Danny Riggle (Lihue, Hawaii), and sophomore Tarik Kramcha (Denver, Colo.) will also see significant time in the Stevens defense. Matyger saw solid minutes last year in the midfield and defense and Riggle should see many more minutes after showing great promise at the end of last season and during the spring. Kramcha, like Riggle, showed a lot of growth during the spring and should have an impact in several different spots.

“We will have some new faces back there this year, guys that have been moved around from different spots on the field,” commented O’Donohue when asked about his defense. “With the right training from the coaching staff and leadership from our returning veterans, I’m certain we will be organized, disciplined, and effective in the back.”

Midfield
The Stevens midfield is deep once again and highlighting that group is first-team All-Empire 8 performer Todd Sheridan (Galloway, N.J.). Sheridan had a phenomenal 2008 season, growing stronger and stronger with each game he played. The then-junior scored huge goals late in the regular season and postseason and finished with 12 tallies and four assists. An attacking midfielder with a cannon for a shot, Sheridan is another player that will be asked to lead all season long. He should be 100 percent healthy at the start of the season and should see his numbers increase for a third straight season while also creating multiple chances for those around him.

Junior Nolan Sandberg (Round Lake Park, Ill.) took everyone but himself and O’Donohue by surprise in 2008. After a very limited role as a rookie, Sandberg became one of the most electric players on the field for Stevens. He finished the season with seven goals and six assists in 23 starts for the Ducks. He is a skilled, creative player that always seems to be around the ball when the game is on the line.

Another guy that should be healthy this season is senior John Radvany (Yardley, Pa.). Radvany was banged up for much of last year but came on strong at the end. He earned important minutes late last season in the NCAA’s and did not disappoint. Senior Al Lockhart (Decatur, Ga.) is another dynamic player with great speed and skill, while sophomore Pete Bednarsky (Hackettstown, N.J.), an honorable mention all-conference as a freshman, will be looked upon to contribute in the midfield and defense this season. Bednarsky, who played in 25 games, making 23 starts, scored three goals, notched three assists, and was an ultra-consistent performer game in and game out. Lockhart gained momentum at the end of last season and closed with a bang. He scored three postseason goals and was even named the Empire 8 Tournament's Most Outstanding Performer.

Sophomore Anthony Roden (Steling, N.Y.) is a player that should emerge this season and will get time in the midfield along with junior Esmir Vucetovic (Hackettstown, N.J.), sophomore Ben Hirsch (Montvale, N.J.), and De Faria. All those players saw some action a season ago and should create a healthy competition for minutes early this year.

Forwards
The forward position will be an interesting one for the Ducks as they try and fill the void left by Lippel and find players that fit in that position. One definite will be senior two-time NSCAA All-American Terrence Johnson (Slidell, La.). Johnson sits third in the Stevens record book with 46 career goals and had 16 in 2008. He led the team in both goals and assists (8), and also registered six tallies of the game-winning variety. He is a two-time All-Empire 8 first-team performer and is coming off a season in which he was named the Empire 8 Player of the Year.

Sophomore Zach Bowman (LaPlata, Md.) is another extremely talented player with great size. Bowman played in 19 games as a rookie, found net three times, and notched one assist. He gained Coach O’Donohue’s confidence as the season aged and will surely fit into the game plan in 2009.

In addition to Johnson and Bowman, the Ducks will look for other players to get minutes up top including the senior leader Sheridan, and Vucetovic. Sheridan’s seen a lot of time as a forward in the past and has been very effective in that spot. In that position he will be able to use his great speed to create scoring chances for himself and others. In his first three years, the Galloway, N.J. native has 32 goals, 10 game-winners, and nine assists.

“We bring back some very dangerous players up top and out wide and we have some new talent that will really help us from day one,” said O’Donohue.

Newcomers
As always, Coach O’Donohue has one of the best recruiting classes in the area which will give him plenty of options all season. Zach Adler (McKinney, Texas) and Victor Daza (North Plainfield, N.J.) should both help sure-up the Stevens offensive attack, and Cody Bovino (Garnerville, N.Y.) should get some time as a left and/or right midfielder. Tim Schaake (Southbury, Conn.) is a Connecticut native that will develop into a strong asset at center back and should see quality minutes, and Michael Jablonskyj (Long Valley, N.J.) may have an impact at several spots including outside back and outside mid. In addition, defender Justin Kirk (Wilmington, Del.) is a player to watch as he could gain more of a role as the year progresses.

“Several of these newcomers are going to be real assets for our team,” O’Donohue said. “Up top and in back, there are some guys that will develop into excellent players this season and for the future.”

Outlook
With very high expectations in place after a great 2008, Stevens will learn a lot about itself early on. The Ducks will open up against NYU, a team they tied 1-1 last season. The Violets are always solid and will come ready to play. Four days later, Stevens will welcome in three teams to its annual Stevens Soccer Classic. Rhode Island College, SUNY New Paltz, and Hunter College will come to Hoboken with their sights set on knocking off the country’s second-ranked team. RIC, a team the Ducks defeated in the 2008 NCAA’s, will take on New Paltz with Stevens playing Hunter in the night cap. The next day the Ducks will draw Rhode Island who most definitely will be looking for revenge.

Stevens’ four-game home stand to open the season will end with a September 11 showdown with Vassar College as the Ducks then take to the road for a brutal three-game stretch. They will visit No. 13 Swarthmore College who handed Stevens its first home loss in 62 games last year and then travel to The College of New Jersey who is always a tough foe. The Ducks will then head to the tenth-ranked team in the nation in York College (Pa.) who is a national power and always around at the end of the season.

“Our preseason was designed to build toughness, character, and discipline,” commented O’Donohue when asked about the challenging road trip. “That three-game trip will test our resiliency and should say a lot about the type of team we could be. We wanted to design a tough schedule that would test our players throughout the whole season, and I think we did that. It should be fun.”

The Ducks will return home for a tough Manhattanville College team on September 23 before opening up Empire 8 play with a home game against Rochester Institute of Technology. RIT played the Ducks to a 0-0 draw a season ago. The Ducks will then travel north for a game with Alfred University and St. John Fisher College before returning home for a non-conference test with New Jersey City University. The Gothic Knights are always talented and should provide a great test in the middle of the conference season.

Stevens will return to conference play by hosting Nazareth College on October 10 and will then take a week off before traveling to Elmira College. Rutgers University-Camden will come to Hoboken for the squads’ Duck Country game on October 21, and on October 24, Stevens will look to avenge its only regular-season Empire 8 loss in two years when it hosts rival Ithaca College. Though the Ducks defeated the Bombers to win the conference championship in 2008, everyone has circled the late-October matchup as a big one for both teams.

The regular season will close with a game at Utica College on Halloween, and the Empire 8 Championship will be November 6 and 8 with the semifinal games taking place at the regular season No. 1 and No. 2. The conference title game will be played at the highest remaining seed.