MONMOUTH MEN'S SOCCER PREVIEW
 
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
Monmouth (2-2-1, 0-0-0 MAAC) at Columbia (1-0-2, 0-0-0 Ivy)
All-Time Series: Monmouth leads, 4-1
Location: Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium– New York, NY
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Live Video: Ivy League Network
Live Stats: http://flyhawks.co/2wSZKv8
 
 
The Monmouth University men's soccer team will travel north for a matchup with Columbia on Tuesday. After earning the 2-0 win over Penn on September 1 and playing #14 West Virginia to a double overtime scoreless draw, the Hawks were upended by UMBC in overtime on Saturday, 2-1. Despite a go-ahead 49th minute goal by senior Jake Areman and eight saves from junior goalkeeper Bobby Edwards, UMBC tied the game in the 68^th minute before scoring the golden goal in overtime. The Hawks fell to 2-2-1 on the season, and will take on Columbia (1-0-2) for the sixth time in program history.
 
BREAKING DOWN THE COLUMBIA LIONS
Columbia comes into the match unbeaten through three games, earning the 1-0 win over Fordham and tying both Massachusetts and #24 New Hampshire, 1-1. Senior forward Arthur Bosua, sophomore midfielder Vana Markarian, and sophomore midfielder John Denis have all scored one goal on the season, with Bosua, Markarian, freshman defender Blake Willis, and junior midfielder Francisco Agrest adding assists. Goalkeeper Dylan Castanheira has played all 310 minutes on the season, registering seven saves while giving up just two goals.

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. COLUMBIA
Monmouth owns the 4-1 series advantage over the Lions, with Columbia's only win coming last season. Monmouth's David Nigro scored two goals with an assist, and current Hawk Jake Areman scored a goal with an assist, but the Hawks were outlasted 4-3. The series started in 2006, when Monmouth earned the 1-0 win on the road en route to an NEC Championship. The Hawks outscored Columbia 5-0 over the next three wins.
 
DOMINANT DEFENSE
Monmouth has given up just three goals through the first five games of the season, which ranks first in the conference. Junior goalkeeper Bobby Edwards has made 20 saves and has registered a goals against average of .57, which also ranks first in the MAAC. Edwards has totaled three shutouts on the season, with the help of defenders Michael Luke, Joey Gudzak, Luke Bromley, Andy Martinez, and Ryan Wells.

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 152-63-50 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.

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.

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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