Aug. 17, 2006

2006 Season Outlook

Every soccer team is bound for failure without teamwork. The mantra, "there is no I in team," rings ever so true for the 2006 Siena men's soccer team.

"This season our club has more chemistry, which I think was lacking last season," head coach Charlie Curto, now in his 23rd season said. "I believe that we will gel more as a team and be more confident as a whole."

Collectively, the Saints amassed 20 goals and 11 assists last season; a mark good for 51 points.

"Certainly, our goal for the year is to reach the MAAC Tournament," Curto said. We'll need 110 percent from each and every player to make it there."

The Saints enter this season with a talented and experienced roster, including an impressive recruiting class. Leading the way as captains are junior midfielders Liam Welsh and Jason Laffin as well as the promising politician, senior goalie, Patrick Henry.

"Jason and Liam's cohesiveness on the field is crucial for our team if we hope to reach the conference tournament this season," Curto said. "Without that cohesiveness and communication on the field, we would certainly have a tough time achieving our goals for this season."

The aforementioned goals that Coach Curto spoke of are to make it to the MAAC Championship and to capture the conference crown for the first time in school history. Lofty as it may seem, those goals sit atop the Saints' "To Do" list for this season.

Captains

Henry has been a bulwark in the net throughout his career and he enters his senior season within striking range of fourth on the school's all-time saves chart with 209 career saves. Not only has Henry relished in success on the field, he has achieved numerous academic accolades as well. In addition to awards such as the MAAC Defensive Player of the Week (9/26/05) and a selection to the New York State All-Region Third Team, Henry received his second consecutive nod to the MAAC All-Academic Team.

"Throughout the three years that Patrick has been at Siena College, he has proven to me on and off the field that he is a natural born leader," Curto said. "No matter how difficult the circumstances might be, Patrick always finds a way to get the job done."

With credentials such as MAAC Rookie of the Year in 2004, Welsh aims to tally a few more awards this season and help the Saints bounce back from a 3-13-2 record.

Laffin rounds out the triumvirate of captains this season. As the more under-spoken of the two midfield captains, Laffin's style of humility and aggressiveness compliments Welsh's more vocal approach of leading the team on the field in more ways than one.

Midfielders

With the graduation of midfielders Kris Dillmann and Sean Kelly, the Saints must now search for players who can step in and fill the void on the pitch.

Welsh will anchor the midfield and provide scoring opportunities via his "never say die" attitude and his strong work ethic. Curto is also confident that Welsh will be able to free his teammates up to score through his on the field.

Laffin equips a keen vision of the field in front of him which allows him to spot open players and generate scoring opportunities. He has also proven to be a clutch competitor.

"Jason's vision is probably one of his biggest assets along with a strong physical physique," Curto said. "Combined, those assets allow him to link up both the defense and offense."

Senior Delmiro Fernandez looks to improve on his all-around game in his final season with the Saints. Fernandez has the ability to score with quick, strategic strikes and is adept at beating opposing defenders.

As a junior last season, Michael Battiste tied for fourth on the team with two goals. A product of nearby Niskayuna High School, Battiste tallied four points on 19 shots, scoring against Oneonta State (9/6/05) and Canisius (10/23/05). This season, Battiste could make an even larger impact following a rigorous off-season training schedule. It is hoped this improvement could play out in the form of individual accomplishment and team victories this fall.

With a year of experience under his belt, sophomore Ross Cardinell will make an impact as a viable candidate for the starting nod at midfield. Cardinell started five of the 15 games he played as a freshman, taking three shots on goal. Curto expects more productivity this year from the Loudonville product.

Sophomore Terence Moynihan will also battle for quality minutes at midfield. Moynihan saw limited action as a rookie, but figures to get more opportunities when camp breaks.

Freshmen Steve Cortes and Tim Rose join highly touted classmate Fabiano Franco as players who could make immediate impacts in their initial season with the Saints. In his senior year at North Babylon, Cortes was an All-Conference Suffolk County selection and was named a Suffolk County Exceptional Senior.

Defenders

Returning this year on defense for their sophomore campaign are Zach Gosse and Brian Woodfield. According to Curto, Woodfield was his choice as team Rookie and Player of the Year in his first season with the Saints last fall.

"Hands down, Brian is our most consistent player," Curto said. "He will be the player who anchors our defense for this season."

Another Capital Region resident who hails from Clifton Park, N.Y., Woodfield started 16 of the 18 games the Saints played last year. The versatile defender will look to elevate his game to another plateau this season and compete for all-conference accolades.

Gosse has four years of eligibility remaining after red-shirting last season. He will compete for immediate minutes if he returns to the form he displayed in high school. Newcomers, Dan Albert, Zach Eppler, Kevin Gluchowski, Tucker Reeks and Greg Young will also battle for quality minutes at defense. Young was the most accomplished of the quintet in high school and will be an impact player immediately as a starter in just his freshman year.

The Shenendehowa graduate garnered numerous awards including the 2005 Section II Class AA Player of the Year and a selection to the 2005 Times Union Soccer All-Star First Team as a standout defender for the Plainsmen, garnering numerous awards including the 2005 Section II Class AA Player of the Year award and a selection to the 2005 Times Union Soccer All-Star First-Team.

Forwards

Junior Tom Ciovacco and sophomore Mike DeSimone will likely be the two starters at the forward position this year. Ciovacco ended last season tied for second on the team with four goals. Ciovacco has come into his own at Siena, following in the legacy of his brother Paul, a New York State All-Region selection for the Saints. This season, Ciovacco will look to etch his name in the school's annals as the second member of his family to be named as a member of the All-Region squad.

DeSimone had a stellar freshman year after posting two goals and two assists in 18 games. After bulking up in the weight room this off-season, he will be called upon for even greater contributions this fall.

Freshmen Robert DeFillipo and Anthony Tagliafari will also battle for quality minutes at forward. Tagliafari was an All-Catholic League selection as a sophomore and junior at Saint John the Baptist High School in West Sayville, N.Y. DeFillipo was a star forward at Clarkstown South High School, where he scored over 40 goals throughout his four-year career. In his first three years there, he was named All-Section and was an All-County selection his senior year. DeFillipo aims to have nothing short of a repeat performance at the Division I stage upon his matriculation to Siena.

Goalkeepers

Henry is the answer to any questions the Saints may have between the pipes this season. The question here may be: who will be his heir apparent? Juniors Dan Majewski and Kyle Christiansen are two logical options for Curto, as both will acquire valuable experience backing up Henry this fall. Majewski started one game last season, amassing 43 minutes in the net and recording two saves, while Christiansen did not appear.

Outlook

With eleven incoming freshmen, the future looks bright for the Saints, who face nine non-conference games and nine MAAC games this fall. The Saints will host Central Connecticut in the season opener on August 30. Following that contest, the Saints will travel to Philadelphia and Amherst, Mass. on September 5 and September 9 to face Drexel University and the University of Massachusetts. The Saints begin their conference slate on September 29 at Fairfield. The lopsided schedule concludes with three MAAC home matches October 20, 22 and 28 against Canisius, Niagara and Marist. This year's MAAC championships return to Fairfield, with the Saints hoping to claim their first conference title on ESPNU November 5.

"Our conference schedule is competitive every year with each team being a challenge and obstacle for our club," Curto said. "Soccer is an unpredictable game and on any day, any team can win. If all the pieces fit, our goal is to finish as one of the top four teams in the MAAC."