BROCKPORT, N.Y. – The College at Brockport men's soccer team is ready to rise to the challenge in 2016, looking to build on their State University New York Athletic Conference runner-up finish from a year ago.
 
The Golden Eagles posted a 12-4-2 record in 2015, with a 5-2-2 mark in league play, and their title run came up just short, falling in the SUNYAC Conference Championship game.
 
The Green and Gold return four veteran seniors to the ranks this season, in defender Mark Sylvia and Chase Crawley and midfielders David LaPietra and Marco DeBole. Sylvia comes back as one of the Golden Eagle's offensive leaders, with two goals and an assist a year ago, while LaPietra is the teams leading assist returner, with six set ups in 2015, earning him the No. 4 spot on the assists per game category in the league.
 
The senior class brings with them a wealth of experience, with three of the four players seeing action in every contest last year. With the departure of a talented group of seniors in 2015, head coach Gary LaPietra hopes that this years leaders are up to the challenge.
 
"We have to replace six starting players from our 2015 season," noted LaPietra. "Mark Sylvia will anchor our defensive unit, while David LaPietra and Marco DeBole will continue his role as a defensive midfielder. We look forward to the healthy return of Chase Crawley, a three-year starter, after a summer injury."
 
Brockport returns 15 underclassmen to their 2016 roster, with nine juniors and six sophomores looking to make an impact.
 
Austin McBride, Ryan Cassidy and first-year Joseph Romano will hope to work their way into goal for the Green and Gold, with the graduation of a pair of Golden Eagle net minders.
 
With a fresh face in the keeper position, Brockport will lean on the experience of their defensive unit, which includes juniors Chris Aherne and Stephen Latino, and sophomores Vincenzo Galvano, and Ryan DiLorenzo. The Golden Eagle defense was second in 2015 in goals allowed in the SUNYAC, holding their opponents to a .699 goals against average, giving up only 13 scores over their 18 contests.
 
Juniors Chris Shepard, Justin Mercer, Jake Etoll, and Connor Melanophy and sophomores Quintin Volpe, and Dylan Serfis will return to the midfield for Brockport, hoping to improve upon a strong attacking unit.
 
"Justin Mercer and Quintin Volpe will be a big part of our attacking unit this season," said LaPietra. "Connor Melanophy, Chris Shepard, and Stephen Latino will also be key players as they are returning players with experience."
 
With a large presence of newcomers, both in the coaching staff and the incoming players, Coach LaPietra will look to focus on shaping a youthful program.
 
"Since we are a very young team our number one goal is player development and improvement," LaPietra said. "One of the biggest changes this season is the addition of the new assistant coaching staff."
 
In the offseason, Brockport added three new faces to the coaching ranks, in Darren Wynne, Sean Reilly and Casey Sullivan. Wynne, who has the most decorated coaching resume with over four decades of experience in both coaching and as a player, will focus on the goalkeepers. Sullivan, who was the Green and Gold starting keeper a season ago, will find a new place on the sidelines, also assisting with the goalkeepers.
 
Reilly brings a multi-faceted skill-set to the coaching staff, not only certified in levels of coaching, but also as a personal trainer and nutritionist.
 
"Sean has been running all of our technical sessions and our conditioning," remarked LaPietra.  "He's also certified in fitness and nutrition, so he's been helping the guys with what to eat, what not to eat, and that's been very positive."
 
In addition to the new faces on the coaching staff, coach LaPietra also brought in 11 new players, looking to make an impact. Working to earn a place in the backfield will be Chris Kinsley, Luis Aguilar, Michael Meyers and Austin Butts, with Joseph Romano fighting for a spot in goal.
 
In the midfield, Cameron Beale will look to play a role, while Anthony Izzo, Michael Duren, Jake Fusilli, Nikolas Sgaraglio and Te'Shawn Merritt will contend in the forward position.
 
The Golden Eagles have a balance of veteran experience and fresh faces that could prove beneficial down the road. While the players and coaches may have changed, the goals for the Green and Gold have not heading into 2016.
 
"We want to compete at the highest level, and hopefully down the line, earn a playoff berth in the SUNYAC Conference," said LaPietra. "We want to compete for the SUNYAC Championship, and punch our ticket to the NCAA Tournament."
 
The road for the Golden Eagles starts on Sept. 2 when they open their season on the road against the No. 11 team in the country, St. Lawrence University. The Green and Gold will open the home portion of their season on Sept. 14 when they host St. John Fisher College at 7 p.m.
 
Be sure to stay up to date on all your Golden Eagle scores and awards by following @BportAthletics on Twitter and by liking the "Brockport Golden Eagles" Facebook page.