Stony Brook opens the 2008 season at Hofstra on Friday night
Stony Brook, N.Y. - The Stony Brook University men's soccer team begins its 46th season of competition when it faces Long Island rival Hofstra University on Friday night at Hofstra Soccer Stadium.
With the 2008 season marking the team's 10th in Division I, head coach Cesar Markovic, once again, has put together a challenging schedule including two teams in the NSCAA/adidas® top-25. After the Seawolves won just three road games in 2007, the 2008 season opens with three straight road games and four away from LaValle Stadium in late September.
The 2008 Seawolves have just three seniors and only two who have seen significant minutes. Dawid Ditrich (Gdansk, Poland) started 16 games in net while recording a 0.91 goals against and Martin Lynch (Oceanside, N.Y.), who along with senior Dan Zori (Levittown, N.Y.) make up the final players remaining from the 2005 Championship team, has played in 54 career games, making 45 starts.
Joining Ditrich and Lynch in the back will be juniors Collin Geoghegan (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) and Petar Rakovic (Kragujevac, Serbia). Geoghegan made 16 starts last season and scored his first two collegiate goals against Hofstra. Rakovic, who started all 18 games he played in, was a steadying presence for the Seawolves. Rakovic tallied two goals and two assists in his first season at Stony Brook. Fellow Serbian Mladen Ramic (Belgrade, Serbia) also saw significant minutes for Stony Brook on defense.
With the graduation of Matt Avellino and Michael Palacio, Stony Brook will look to sophomore Mark Secko (Shoreham, N.Y) in the midfield. Secko, an all-rookie selection in 2007, had a goal and an assist while playing in all 19 games last season. Sophomores Matt Piccoli (Selden, N.Y.), a transfer from Florida Gulf Coast University, and Greg Tinari (Holbrook, N.Y.), a transfer from St. John's University, join Secko to make a young but talented middle of the field.
Up front, junior Oscar Leis (Ozone Park, N.Y.) returns as the only forward with experience. Leis, an all-rookie selection in 2006, has four career goals and an assist. Freshmen Tom Butler (Birmingham, England), Vuk Grbovic (Belgrade, Serbia) and Jherrett Maroney (Cincinnatus, N.Y.) could all see time at striker.
Friday night's game against the Pride is the fourth time the two schools have met to open the season. Stony Brook is 8-13-3 all-time against Hofstra, but is 3-3 as a member of Division I. The series between Stony Brook and Hofstra dates back to 1965.
With the 2008 season marking the team's 10th in Division I, head coach Cesar Markovic, once again, has put together a challenging schedule including two teams in the NSCAA/adidas® top-25. After the Seawolves won just three road games in 2007, the 2008 season opens with three straight road games and four away from LaValle Stadium in late September.
The 2008 Seawolves have just three seniors and only two who have seen significant minutes. Dawid Ditrich (Gdansk, Poland) started 16 games in net while recording a 0.91 goals against and Martin Lynch (Oceanside, N.Y.), who along with senior Dan Zori (Levittown, N.Y.) make up the final players remaining from the 2005 Championship team, has played in 54 career games, making 45 starts.
Joining Ditrich and Lynch in the back will be juniors Collin Geoghegan (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) and Petar Rakovic (Kragujevac, Serbia). Geoghegan made 16 starts last season and scored his first two collegiate goals against Hofstra. Rakovic, who started all 18 games he played in, was a steadying presence for the Seawolves. Rakovic tallied two goals and two assists in his first season at Stony Brook. Fellow Serbian Mladen Ramic (Belgrade, Serbia) also saw significant minutes for Stony Brook on defense.
With the graduation of Matt Avellino and Michael Palacio, Stony Brook will look to sophomore Mark Secko (Shoreham, N.Y) in the midfield. Secko, an all-rookie selection in 2007, had a goal and an assist while playing in all 19 games last season. Sophomores Matt Piccoli (Selden, N.Y.), a transfer from Florida Gulf Coast University, and Greg Tinari (Holbrook, N.Y.), a transfer from St. John's University, join Secko to make a young but talented middle of the field.
Up front, junior Oscar Leis (Ozone Park, N.Y.) returns as the only forward with experience. Leis, an all-rookie selection in 2006, has four career goals and an assist. Freshmen Tom Butler (Birmingham, England), Vuk Grbovic (Belgrade, Serbia) and Jherrett Maroney (Cincinnatus, N.Y.) could all see time at striker.
Friday night's game against the Pride is the fourth time the two schools have met to open the season. Stony Brook is 8-13-3 all-time against Hofstra, but is 3-3 as a member of Division I. The series between Stony Brook and Hofstra dates back to 1965.
