MONMOUTH MEN'S SOCCER PREVIEW
 
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
Iona (2-3-2, 1-1-0 MAAC) at Monmouth (3-5-1, 0-1-0 MAAC)
All-Time Series: Monmouth leads, 13-7-0
Location: West Long Branch, NJ
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Live Video: https://flyhawks.co/2hJCM3X
Live Stats: https://flyhawks.co/2yTaHeg
 
The Monmouth University men's soccer team welcomes MAAC rival Iona to West Long Branch on Wednesday. The 7:00 PM match will be broadcasted on ESPN3, with Matt Harmon and Eddy Occhipinti on the call. After defeating Hartford in the non-conference finale by a score of 3-1 on September 20, the Hawks dropped the conference opener to Rider last Wednesday, 3-0. Monmouth is at the halfway mark of the 2017 regular season, accumulating a 3-5-1 overall record with nine games to play. Redshirt senior Colin Stripling and senior Jake Areman lead the team with six points each. Stripling leads the team with three goals, including two goals against Hartford that earned him MAAC Offensive Player of the Week. Monmouth goalkeeper Bobby Edwards has started all nine games in net this season, and ranks fourth in the conference with a .733 save percentage. The Hawks have registered a 23-8-10 record in conference play since joining the MAAC in 2013, including a championship in 2014.
 
BREAKING DOWN THE IONA GAELS
Iona's seven games this season have included an astounding five overtime contests. The Gaels defeated #24 UConn in the season opener, and tied #20 Old Dominion in double overtime a game later. The team has only played one home match, which resulted in a double overtime loss to MAAC opponent Manhattan on September 27. The Gaels bounced back three days later and earned their first conference win over Siena, 2-0. Senior defender Joshua Calderon and freshman midfielder Josh Plimpton have each scored two goals this season, and Calderon leads the team with five points. In goal, junior Kellar Sirstins has earned five starts, giving up five goals while making nine saves on the season.  

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. IONA
The Hawks enjoy a 13-7 advantage in the all-time series. Last season, Iona took the 1-0 win on a 78^th minute goal. In 2015, the Hawks earned the 1-0 win during the regular season before defeating the Gaels in the MAAC Semifinal game, 2-1. A freshman at the time, Zachary Pereira got the first tally in the 22^nd minute with a header off the corner kick.
 
SPREADING THE LOVE
Seven different Monmouth athletes have scored goals in 2017, including Colin Stripling, Jake Areman, Andy Martinez, Geoffrey Schaefer, Zachary Pereira, Anes Mrkulic, and John Antunes. Areman has added two assists on the season to lead the team with four points, while Antunes has dished two assists and is second on the team with 13 shots.

SUPER STRIPLING
Redshirt senior Colin Stripling was the lone Monmouth student-athlete named to the Preseason All-MAAC Team, and he enjoys the honor for the second consecutive season. Battling through injury a season ago, Stripling scored four goals in 11 games while racking up 26 shots. He was named to the All-MAAC Second Team for those efforts, a year after being named to the All-MAAC First team after scoring six goals and dishing five assists in 2015. Before sustaining a season-ending injury in 2014, Stripling earned MAAC All-Rookie honors during his freshman year after starting 18 games. Stripling scored the game-winning diving header in the season-opening win over Georgia Southern on August 25, and was named MAAC Offensive Player of the Week on September 25 after scoring two goals in the 3-1 win over Hartford.

NON-CONFERENCE CHALLENGES
The Hawks played an arduous non-conference slate in 2017, recording a 3-4-1 record after eight games. Monmouth played #14 West Virginia to a 0-0 draw on September 4 and fell to #25 UMass Lowell in the 89^th minute, 3-2. On September 26, the Columbia Lions entered the United Soccer Coaches Poll at #23, two weeks after the Hawks narrowly fell to them, 2-1. Monmouth also played tough road contests at College of Charleston and Georgia Southern, and defeated Hartford and Penn at home. The Hawks were defeated in overtime by 2014 College Cup semifinalist UMBC in West Long Branch on September 9 by a score of 2-1.

AMAZING AREMAN
Through the first seven games of the season, senior Jake Areman is tied for the team lead with six points on two goals and two assists. Areman scored the go-ahead goal against UMBC on September 9, and also scored Monmouth's first goal at #25 UMass Lowell on September 16 on a perfectly placed free kick. Joining the Hawks ahead of the 2016 season, Areman has started all 26 games, accumulating three goals and six assists in that span.

HERE'S JOHNNY
After missing all of last season due to injury, redshirt freshman John Antunes has started every game for the Hawks in the midfield this season. Antunes consistently controls the middle of the field, and scored his first career tally against Hartford on September 20. The Fairfield, NJ native took the pass from teammate Santo Arena, dribbled down the middle of the field, and launched a rocket to right upper 90 to put the Hawks up 1-0. He's also added two assists on the season and ranks second on the team with 14 shots.

FRESHMAN CONNECTION
Trailing 2-1 with 25 minutes to play at #25 UMass Lowell on September 16, freshman Santo Arena collected a turnover and passed it ahead to freshman Anes Mrkulic. Mrkulic poked it under the goalkeeper for his first career goal and Arena's first career assist to tie the game at two.

SANTO'S START
After dishing his first career assist at #25 UMass Lowell on September 16, freshman Santo Arena earned his first career start against Hartford four days later. The midfielder made the most of it, assisting on the first goal of the game from John Antunes. Monmouth later won the match 3-1.

UNUSUAL UNDERDOGS
For the first time since 2005, a Rob McCourt-led Monmouth team was not selected as preseason conference favorites. Instead, the Hawks were tabbed third behind Quinnipiac and Rider after a 6-9-3 record in 2016. McCourt has led the Hawks to a 153-66-50 record since his inaugural 2004 season.
 
^{Preseason Conference Poll under Rob McCourt}

2017: 3rd	2010: 1st
2016: 1st	2009: 1st
2015: 1st	2008: 1st
2014: 1st	2007: 1st
2013: 1st	2006: 1st
2012: 1st	2005: 4th
2011: 1st	2004: 9th

 
THE GOLD STANDARD
Monmouth Head Coach Robert McCourt's teams have won nine conference regular season titles in his 13 years directing the program. Included in the Hawks' run of success are five conference tournament championships in the last 11 years and the accompanying NCAA Tournament berths.

RETURNING CAST
Monmouth will return 12 letterwinners from last season, led by Preseason All-MAAC selection Colin Stripling. Senior Jake Areman will also return to the fold after tallying six points (one goal, four assists) during his first year in Blue & White. Sophomore Geoff Schaefer, junior Jalil Blalock, and sophomore Michael Luke will all return after scoring two goals each last season. Junior Zachary Pereira also returns after earning All-MAAC Second Team honors in 2016, in addition to sophomore defender Andy Martinez who was named to the MAAC All-Rookie team. Senior Joey Gudzak is back on the Monmouth defense after being one of two players to start all 18 games last season, while classmate Andrew Gee takes the field with 53 career games and five goals under his belt. After sustaining a season-ending injury in the first game of the regular season in 2016, the 2015 NJ Gatorade High School Player of the Year John Antunes will look to make a lasting impact in the midfield.

NUMEROUS NEWCOMERS
The Hawks welcome 12 new players in West Long Branch this fall, including six freshmen and four transfers. Juniors Bobby Edwards, Luke Bromley, and Henrique Joaquim are joined by sophomore Doni Pollock as 2017 transfers. Edwards enjoyed a lot of success as a goalkeeper at St. Joseph's University, the England native Bromley comes from Florida Southern College, and the Brazil native Joaquim comes from Brevard College. Pollock, a striker, played one year at Old Dominion and contributed two goals in 15 games. Sophomore George Akampeke also joined the fold from Bolgatanga, Ghana, and will play primarily in the midfield. The freshman class includes forward Anes Mrkulic, goalkeeper Sean Murray, midfielder Santo Arena, midfielder Jake Treiber, forward Alex Hajj, and midfielder Dan Frisch-Harmon.
 
ERIC KLENOFSKY DRAFTED BY D.C. UNITED
Following the 2016 season, former goalkeeper Eric Klenofsky was selected 34th overall in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft by D.C. United. Klenofsky became the eighth Monmouth student-athlete selected by an MLS team and the sixth in the last seven years, following Matt Jeffrey (No. 78, Colorado), Bryan Meredith (No. 29, Seattle), Ryan Kinne (No. 42, New England), RJ Allen (No. 43, Chivas USA) and Ryan Clark (No. 39, New York Red Bulls), and the seventh overall, also joining Hugh MacDonald and Tom Gray. Klenofsky garnered multiple accolades throughout his four years in West Long Branch, most recently being named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) First Team All-Northeast Region Team for the second consecutive season. His 36 career wins are the second-most in conference history, and he ends his Monmouth career with 32 shutouts. Klenofsky earned All-MAAC Second Team in 2013 and 2014, before elevating to the First Team and being named MAAC Goalkeeper of the Year in 2015. He was the 2013 and 2014 NCAA Division I Statistical Champion in goals-against average.
 
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