2017 Liberty League Men's Soccer Preseason Preview
Vassar College captured its first Liberty League men’s soccer championship since 2011 and compiled a program-best overall record of 14-4-2 (5-2-1 Liberty League) in 2016. The Brewers made their fourth NCAA tournament appearance in program history thanks to the league’s automatic bid.
Vassar will open 2017 with seven starters from last year’s league championship squad. 2016 Liberty League Rookie of the Year Mattie Mrlik is primed to lead the offense after pacing the team and league in goals with 11 last season. He also dished out seven assists, good for third among league leaders. Tyler Gilmore and Jose Novas will also help out the Brewer offense after combining for 11 goals and six assists a year ago. As a team, the Brewers were tops in the league in goals (43), assists (38) and shots on goal (139). Defensively, goalkeeper Matt Marcelino will anchor the team’s back field after recording 14 starts last season. He went 9-4-2 with three shutouts to go along with his 1.07 goals against average and 0.750 save percentage. He will be joined by defender Tanner Sands, who was perfect on penalty shots last season (4-for-4). Other key returnees include midfielders Hayden Van Brewer (11A) and Reid Smith (1G, 2A).
Hobart College claimed its first Liberty League regular season title since 2008 last season as the Statesmen posted an overall record of 9-5-4 and a 6-1-1 mark in league play. They had 10 games go to overtime, only one shy of a NCAA record and Hobart was undefeated in those overtime games (6-0-4). The team returns to the field with eight starters from a year ago, including All-Liberty League first-team selection Adrian Colmenares. The midfielder started 16 games for the Statesmen while ranking third on the team in scoring with three goals. Colmenares came through in the clutch as all three goals were game winners and two were overtime penalty kicks. He will be joined on the field by Nate Cary and Binjo Emmanuel. Cary was second on the team in scoring, netting three goals and handing out an assist for seven points. Emmanuel will guide the defense after a season where the squad posted seven shutouts. He also had a goal and an assist on the year.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Instiute (RPI) went 8-7-4 overall and 5-2-1 against league opponents in 2016. The Engineers will have some holes to fill this season with the graduation of the 2016 Liberty League Player of the Year Devon Baughen and defender Andrew Gondek as well as the return of only five starters. Baughen was the first player in Liberty League men’s soccer history to record at least one point in every conference match while Gondek was part of a defense that only allowed 15 goals, the third fewest in the league. Despite those losses the defense should still be strong with the return of goalkeepers Ryan Nealon and Matt LaBranche. Nealon (8-7-4) appeared in 12 games and made 11 starts while LaBranche (5-2-2) appeared in 11 games and made eight starts. The duo combined for a league-best nine shutouts. Nealon compiled a 0.727 save percentage and a 0.89 goals against average, good for fourth among league leaders. LaBranche had a 0.61 goals against average and 0.838 save percentage in his rookie campaign. He was ranked second in the league for save percentage and shutouts (7). RPI welcomes back two of the team’s top-four scorers from last season—Steven Collins and Austin Betterly to pilot this year’s offense. Both totaled five points on two goals and an assist.
For the second consecutive season and third time in four years,
Skidmore College advanced to the league championship game to wrap up 2016. The Thoroughbreds compiled a 4-2-2 league record for the fourth seed and overall went 7-7-4. This year’s squad is headlined by All-Liberty League first teamer Kevin Santos and second-team selection Austin Okoye. Santos paced the league in points (21) and points per game (1.62) while also tying for first in game-winning goals with three. He scored eight goals and added five assists. Okoye led the league in shots per game (3.82) and tied for a team-high eight goals. He also dished out two assists for 18 points on the year. Ben Poole will be key to this year’s defense after starting all 18 games last season.
Despite finishing last season fifth in the league standings, with a league record of 4-4,
St. Lawrence University earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament due to an 11-4-1 overall mark. They went 7-0-1 against non-league opponents. It could be an interesting year for the Saints with the return of only three starters from a year ago, however, All-Liberty League first team selections Tapshak Augustine and Jethro Dede headline this year’s team. Augustine was the team’s leading scorer with five goals and two assists for 12 points last season. Dede will also help the offense with three goals and an assist a year ago. Rob Brandell is also back, he was the only player to start and play in all 16 games for the Saints last season. He had one goal, a game-winning penalty kick and will anchor this year’s defense.
Clarkson University comes into 2017 with eight returning starters. Last season, Clarkson boasted the league’s best defense as the Golden Knights allowed a league-low 13 goals on the year. A big part of that success was because of goalkeeper Michael King who graduated in May, so goalkeeping could be a question mark this season. King finished the year with a 0.881 save percentage and a 0.64 goals against average. Defender James Homan returns after playing in 15 of 16 games last season. Homan was also a key component to the defense as the Golden Knights were nationally ranked in Division III for both shutout percentage (28th) and goals against average (33rd). Offensively, the team’s top-two scorers from last season are back, Kevin Calnan and Aidan Subra. The duo combined for nine goals and five assists for 23 points. Calnan led the team in goals (5) and assists (4) as well as two game-winning goals.
Union College posted an overall record of 10-6-1 in 2016, including a 7-2 mark against non-league opponents. The Dutchmen open this season with six returning starters despite losing a senior class of eight. Two of the team’s top-three scorers from a year ago return in Ethan Strauss and Sal Lopez. Strauss recorded four goals and handed out four assists while Lopez netted five goals and dished out two assists. Both compiled 12 points on the year in 17 games. Jack Weitzman returns between the pipes for the Dutchmen. He finished the year with a 9-5-1 record to go along with his 39 saves, 0.765 save percentage and 0.84 goals against average. Chris McGrath is also back and will help Weitzman on the backline.
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) will open 2017 with a core group of returning players, nine of which were starters last season. The Tigers were a young squad with 24 underclassmen and a year of experience should translate well on the field. Peter Cinibulk returns in goal after starting 16 of 17 games. He posted a 0.95 goals against average and a 0.810 save percentage last season. Michael Reverdetto and Tristan Scott headline the defensive corps after allowing 17 goals, ranking them in the top-five among league leaders. Four of RIT’s top-five scorers are back, including Anthony DeFeo, the 2016 leading scorer, after notching two goals and two assists. 14 different players recorded at least a point last season and 12 return to the 2017 team.
Bard College opened 2016 on a high note as the Raptors set a school record by starting the season unbeaten through seven game (4-0-3). The team had much success against non-league opponents with a 5-1-3 mark. Nick Shenberger returns to the lineup after leading the team in scoring last season. Shenberger recorded 16 points on seven goals and two assists. Another addition to the offense is Antonio Scanni who is back for his senior campaign as he was one of Bard’s top scorers with three goals and two assists for eight points last year. In the back field, defender Jacob Cicero and goalkeeper Taylor Bond return after starting all 17 games for the Raptors last season.
The Liberty League will have a slightly different look this season with the addition of
Ithaca College. Ithaca, previously a member of the Empire 8, went 7-9-1 overall and 5-1-1 in conference play. The Bombers will also have a new coach at the helm in Kyle Dezotell. They come into the league with a good mix of returning players (7 starters) and newcomers. Alexi Brosnihan played in 15 games, 12 starts last season and was second on the team in scoring with 13 points (6G, 1A). He will be joined by Kevin Turi and Nathan Schoen, who were ranked third and fourth on the team in scoring. They both recorded nine points apiece on three goals and three assists. Justinian Michaels headlines the defense, which had five shutouts last season. As a team, Ithaca allowed 1.47 goals per game and 0.71 goals per game in the Empire 8.
With the addition of Ithaca, there will now be 10 teams competing in Liberty League men’s soccer, and because of that, there will also be a format change to the league tournament. Six teams will now qualify for the postseason. This year, the quarterfinals take place on Tuesday, October 31 at the third and fourth seeds. The first and second seeds will receive a bye into the semifinals. The semifinal games will take place on Saturday, November 4 and the championship game will be played on Sunday, November 5. All three games that weekend will be hosted by the top seed. The winner of the championship earns the Liberty League’s automatic berth to the 2017 NCAA tournament.
2016 Liberty League Men’s Soccer Standings
Team (Overall Record, Liberty League Record)
Vassar (14-4-2, 5-2-1) - Liberty League champions
Hobart (9-5-4, 6-1-1) - Liberty League regular season champions
RPI (8-7-4, 5-2-1)
Skidmore (7-7-4, 4-2-2)
St. Lawrence (11-4-1, 4-4)
Clarkson (7-7-2, 3-4-1)
Union (10-6-1, 3-4-1)
RIT (5-9-3, 1-6-1)
Bard (6-8-3, 1-7)
* please note team previews are listed in order of the 2016 standings