Men's Soccer Set To Kick Off 2006-2007 Stonehill Athletic Calendar Sunday Afternoon As Skyhawks Entertain Molloy In Non-League Match

August 24, 2006

A youthful tone will be set for the 2006 edition of Stonehill Men's Soccer, as Head Coach Jose Gomes welcomes back nine letterwinners and six starters from last year's squad but will blend a talented mix of 15 newcomers to the program that dot this year's roster. Stonehill looks to continue steady improvement after recording three triumphs in always-rugged Northeast-10 Conference play last fall, including shutout wins over league rivals Bentley, Assumption and Saint Michael's along the way.

Here's a look at how things are shaping up for Skyhawk Men's Soccer in 2006:

FORWARD. Stonehill welcomes back four returnees up front this fall, led by junior Joey Silva (Brockton, Mass./Brockton), who netted a pair of goals in 2005. Senior co-captain Derek Hebert (Rockland, Mass./South Shore Christian) also returns after notching a pair of assists after transferring in from Nyack, while sophomores Thomas Hernon (Mansfield, Mass./Mansfield) and Austin Matte (Merrimack, N.H./Bishop Guertin) also lend experience, with Hernon netting a goal in 17 match appearances. Freshmen Shaun Keeley (Woburn, Mass./Woburn) and Martin Earley (Winterport, Maine/Hampden Academy) will also look to impact the Skyhawk fortunes up front.

MIDFIELD. A pair of returnees will bolster the middle for the Skyhawks, led by senior co-captain Joseph Sousa (Shelton, Conn./Shelton), who paced Stonehill in scoring with six goals and an assist for 13 points, including two game-winning tallies. Sophomore Daniel Holley (Manorville, N.Y./Eastport South Manor) gained valuable experience as a rookie last fall in notching a goal and a pair of assists for four points, while six newcomers will also be vying for spots in the midfield for the Skyhawks: junior Wagner DaCosta (Hagerstown, Md./IASP), sophomore Richard Carvalho (Hollis, N.H./Hollis-Brookline) and freshmen Victor Regis (Topsfield, Mass./St. John's Prep), Dean Tzortis (Topsfield, Mass./Masconomet), Ryan Hess (Springfield, Mass./Springfield Cathedral) and T.J. Capecelatro (Orange, Conn./Notre Dame).

BACK. Junior Daniel Gomes (Brockton, Mass./Brockton) and sophomore Miles Stroh (Harvard, Mass./Bromfield School) return to form an experienced last line of defense for Stonehill, which welcomes five newcomers to the backfield in freshmen David Pohl (Weymouth, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham), Diogo Pereira (Rockland, Mass./Rockland), Phil Cosmos (Natick, Mass./Natick), Anthony Valente (New City, N.Y./Albertus Magnus) and Ben Irzyk (Wakefield, R.I./South Kingstown).

GOAL. The graduation of all-Northeast-10 netminder Chad Etting has created a vacancy in the Skyhawk cage, and that vacancy looks to be filled by sophomore Danny Kerl (Massapequa Park, N.Y./St. Anthony's), who served as Etting's back-up last fall. Kerl appeared in four matches as a rookie, making nine saves in 166-plus minutes of play. Freshmen Mark Kelley (Medway, Mass./Medway) and Brian Guerrini (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury) will challenge Kerl for the starting spot for Stonehill this season.

SCHEDULE. Playing in perhaps the toughest Division II soccer conference in the nation in the Northeast-10 certainly will have Stonehill battle tested once again, as the league sent three teams to the NCAA tournament a year ago, including 2005 national runner-up Franklin Pierce. Perhaps a little home cooking will serve the Skyhawks well early on, as Stonehill will play five of its first six matches on the friendly confines of Skyhawk Field.