Riverdale, N.Y. (August 28, 2008) -- Based on the quality of their returning players and a very promising incoming recruiting class, the Manhattan College men's soccer coaching staff led by Head Coach Mike Swanwick is extremely optimistic about the 2008 season, a season that starts Sunday with a 7 p.m. match at Rutgers.

“We very, very much can compete for the final four in the MAAC,” said Coach Swanwick.  “We have a lot of firepower coming back and have great hopes that our incoming recruiting class can really, really make a big difference.”

With up to five freshman starting most of the games, last season saw the squad lose a number of one-goal games, and Swanwick is optimistic that this year's squad can turn those games (like the 1-0 losses to NCAA participants Loyola College and Saint Peter's College) into wins.

“We gained a lot of experience in those very close games with a young team and I am confident that with our young guys now experienced and newcomers that have come with a winning attitude from their high school and club experience, we are going be very successful,” Swanwick said noting that this recruiting class is probably the best in his four-year tenture.

 “Assistant Coach Lonny Unger and myself have brought in a recruiting class that contains players that have tasted a lot of wins while playing for some of the top club soccer teams in the country.” Swanwick said.

The Jaspers Lineup

The 2008 Jaspers will be led by senior co-captains Kyle Lauchmen and John Dellipriscoli.

Tough and extremely fast, Lauchmen is expected to anchor the team's backline, while Dellipriscoli, an agile and quick flank midfield player, is expected to get the Jaspers into the attack more aggressively than ever before. Dellipriscoli was one of the top players for the Jaspers last season until a knee injury cut his season short early on. 

“Delli is fully recovered and is expected to fire up our offense,” Swanwick said.  “He and Kyle are terrific leaders both on and off the field, and we need that leadership to bring our team to the next level.”

Expected to join Lauchmen on the backline is sophomore Josh Renner, who in his first year with the Jaspers became on of the conference's top defenders, winning All-Rookie honors, as well as senior Sean Morin and freshman Christopher Holihan. Holihan, an aggressive, quick, central defender, comes to the Jaspers after a very successful season playing for FC Westchester in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy program, the highest level of club competition in the country.  Other candidates to gain significant time in the back are junior James Gannon, junior Paul Rolston and sophomore Thomas McCormick.   

In the middle of the park, Swanwick has high hopes for newcomer ? Nicholas Patrikis, an incoming transfer from Northeastern. Patrikis, while at Northeastern, played in all of the Huskies' games his freshman and sophomore years.  Prior to Northeastern, he was an All-County and All-Section performer at Nanuet H.S. He was also an Eastern NY Olympic Development Program team starter for five years (the last year of which he played for Coach Swanwick) and was named to the USYSA Region 1 ODP pool in 2004. 

Also in the midfield, in addition to Dellipriscoli, Swanwick is looking for big years from sophomore Sean Russell, juniors Nick White and Neal Siena, as well as from incoming freshmen Anthony Florez and Mike Gallo.  Florez was a teammate of Holihan's on the FC Westchester '90 U.S. Soccer Development Academy team and while at Iona Prep was one of the top midfielders in the CHSAA.  Gallo, a three-year starter at Saint Joseph Regional High School in Montvale, N.J., played club soccer for the Parsippany Revolution, one of the top-ranked teams in New Jersey that this past spring won the USYSA Region 1 Premier League.  Also looking to vie for time in the midfield are junior Neal Siena and senior Adolfo Rivera.

Swanwick feels he had the most guns upfront than he has ever had and is optimistic about drastically increasing the Jaspers' goal scorer capabilities.

Returning strikers include junior Stephen Van Rossem, senior Fernando Londono and sophomores Thomas Bandov and Matt Gormley.  Newcomer Deia Nassar is expected to make an immediate impact.  Nassar was a three-year starter on the Trumbull H.S. team and was one of Connecticut's leading offensive threats. He played club soccer for Yankee United of Connecticut, which was the 2007 Connecticut State Cup champion.

In goal, John Ciano has started the past two years and is expected to start again.  Providing strong competition in the net, though, will be sophomores Joseph Lorenz and Randall Brobson.

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The Jasper's Schedule

Manhattan ? which will play nine home games at Gaelic Park --  has a strong non-conference schedule that should prepare it well for MAAC play.

The Jaspers open on the road on Sunday, August 31, traveling to New Brunswick, N.J. to take on Big East power Rutgers University in a 7 p.m. match. Then, on Saturday, September 6, the Jaspers make their home debut against Fairleigh Dickinson University in a night game kicking off at 7 p.m.

The Jaspers then hit the road again for a Wednesday, September 10 game at Army before returning for a three-game home stand ? Saturday, September 13 versus the New Jersey Institute of Technology at 7 p.m.; Wednesday, September 17 vs. cross-borough rival Fordham University at 7 p.m.; and Saturday, September 20 versus 2007 NCAA quarterfinalist Central Connecticut State University at 7 p.m.

Manhattan then heads to Brooklyn on Wednesday, September 24 for a 7 p.m. match against Long Island University.  The Jaspers then come back to Gaelic Park for 7 p.m. home matches on Saturday, September 27 versus Howard University and Tuesday, September 30 against Adelphi University.

A three-game away slate follows, with the Jaspers traveling to Brooklyn on Saturday, October 4 to take on Saint Francis of New York at 7 p.m.; then opening up its conference schedule at Marist at 7 p.m. on Friday, October 10 and then playing its second MAAC game at Siena at 1 p.m. on Sunday, October 12.

The following weekend finds the Jaspers hosting local rival Iona College at 7 p.m. on Friday, October 17 and then hosting Fairfield at 10 a.m. on Sunday, October 19.

The conference schedule continues with away games on Saturday, October 25 at 1 p.m. at Saint Peter's College in Jersey City; at Rider University at 3 p.m. on Friday, October 31; and at Loyola of Maryland on Sunday, November 2 at 1 p.m.

The Jaspers then come back to Gaelic Park to close out the MAAC regular season with a 7 p.m. Friday, November 7 match against Niagara University and a 10 a.m. Sunday, November 9 game versus Canisius College.

The MAAC Championships are the following weekend ? semifinals on November 14 and the finals on November 16.