Brockport, NY – The SUNY Brockport men's soccer team is set to begin the 2021 season at home on Wednesday, September 1st at 7 pm when it faces RIT. After the cancellation of the 2020 season the team will be back on the field for the first time since 2019.
 
2019 Recap: The Golden Eagles put together a winning season in 2019, finishing 9-8-2 overall and 4-4-1 against SUNYAC opponents. The 2018 SUNYAC Champions earned a home record of 4-3-1 in 2019, outscoring opponents 19-8 in eight home contests. They made the conference tournament for the third straight year, after a clutch 2-1 victory over Geneseo in the regular season finale. In the first round of the SUNYAC Tournament, Brockport fell to Buffalo State, 2-1, in overtime.
 
Coach LaPietra: Head Coach Gary LaPietra is back for his 25th year since first starting at Brockport in 1996. LaPietra has earned a 245-148-50 overall record at Brockport, while leading the program to two SUNYAC Championships and six NCAA tournament appearances. Coach is a three-time SUNYAC Coach of the Year, most recently earning the honor in 2018. When asked about this his feelings on this year's team and what stands out following preseason, Coach Lapietra shared his thoughts.
 
"We had a tremendous preseason; our players have been working extremely hard on improving their fitness level, enhancing their technical skill sets and getting more comfortable in our model of play and formation. Most importantly, with so many new players and having so much time off due to the pandemic it was important for us to have some fun and build on our team chemistry. Our upper classmen have done an outstanding job welcoming in our large class of freshman players. I am most impressed with the competitiveness and the attitude the players have displayed in every session. It hasn't been easy especially with the heat and long days."
 
The Captains: Representing the Green and Gold on the field as captains this season will be seniors Matthew Stefaniw and Zach Langelotti. Stefaniw managed to lead the 2019 squad in with eight goals and 21 points. As a midfielder, Langelotti contributed to the offense with five goals, 11 points, two game winning goals. With so many new players added to the roster since last season, the captains will be crucial in keeping the team connected on and off the field.
 
Returners: Brockport will have 10 players in total return from the 2019 roster for the upcoming season. There are five returning seniors on this year's squad including Matthew Stefaniw, Zach Langelotti, Ben Kinslow, Alex Fusani, Noah Mohamed, and Wilson Wong. The junior class is made up of Colby Egan, Seamus Parker, Josh Fitzpatrick, Kolbi Maddy and goalkeeper Ryan Gall. Stefaniw, Kinslow, Mohamed, and Langelotti are the four returners that were part of the program's 2018 conference title run. With this group of experienced players the Golden Eagles can utilize a solid core to match with the new talent coming in.
 
New Faces: Since the 2020 season was cancelled, the team will have a lot of new faces on the field this year. The program is welcoming 22 total players that will be suiting up in the Brockport colors for the first time in 2021. Jacob Wlostowski, Abe Haley, and Josiah Fragnito are all experienced transfers who are joining the Green and Gold. The sophomore class highlights Cody Sherlock, Nick Van Wie, Gabe Clement, Julian Castellanos, Brian Fornelos, Hunter Kassel and goalkeeper Andrew Taylor. This year's large incoming freshman class consists of Malcolm Phillips, Giovanni Cardona, Brendan Hill, Dylan Lopez, Warren Banks, Eric Ramirez, Colton McCane, Andy Cespedes, Marco Chousa, Alex Ramos, and Glen Prairie.
 
Schedule Layout: Brockport gets 2021 started with five straight home contests, running from September 1^st through September 11^th. The team welcomes RIT, Nazareth, Mount Aloysius, St. John Fisher, and Elmira in that home stretch. The Green and Gold will then hit the road for six consecutive road games, including five SUNYAC matchups. The Golden Eagles will then return to the nest to close out the regular season with four conference battles on their home field. This could turn out to be crucial for a postseason push, as the SUNYAC Tournament is scheduled to begin on Saturday, October 30^th.
 
Big Homecoming Weekend: The Golden Eagles' last two games of the regular season will take place during homecoming weekend, as both will be SUNYAC matchups. The first will be on Friday, October 22nd at 3 pm against Fredonia. Brockport and Fredonia ended the 2019 battle in a 1-1 draw. The final game of the regular season will take place under the lights, as the men seek revenge against Buffalo State on Saturday, October 23rd at 6 pm.
 
Looking at RIT: RIT is coming off its last regular season back in 2019 with a 6-9-3 overall record and a Liberty League conference record of 4-5-1. At home the Tigers had a 5-5 record, while they struggled on the road with an away record of 1-4-2. Clinching a spot in the Liberty League Tournament, the Tigers advanced to the semifinal game defeating Vassar College in the first round on penalty kicks. RIT's season would then come to an end when Hobart defeated the Tigers in a penalty kick shootout.
 
What's Next: The Golden Eagles are back at home for a busy weekend on September 4^th and 5^th. They welcome Nazareth on Saturday at 12 pm and Mount Aloysius on Sunday at 1 pm.