Brockport, NY - The Brockport men's soccer team will begin its first season as a member of the Empire 8, kicking off the season at RIT for the Doug May Memorial on Friday, August 30^th at 7 p.m before taking on Rochester on Tuesday, September 3rd at 7 p.m.
 
2023 Recap: The 2023 season saw the Golden Eagles finish 9-3-5 overall with an unbeaten 6-0-3 record in SUNYAC play, good for the #2 seed in the SUNYAC tournament. From September 16^th to October 21^st, the Green and Gold posted an unbeaten 7-0-4 record in the final 11 games of the regular season. 7 Golden Eagles earned All-SUNYAC honors, including Co-Defensive Player of the Year winner Andrew Taylor, Russ Domm (1^st team), Dylan Rippe (2^nd team), Chuck Domm (3^rd team), Alex Rivara (3^rd team), Josh Fitzpatrick (3^rd team), and Giovanni Cardona (3^rd team). In a rematch of the 2022 SUNYAC finals, Brockport's season came to an end at home in the SUNYAC semifinals against Oneonta, 1-0.
 
LaPietra at the Helm: Brockport's all-time leader in wins, Gary LaPietra continues to keep the team in winning form. Back for a 27^th year at the helm, he is looking for a third conference title, and his first as a member of the Empire 8. A conference championship would result in LaPietra's seventh NCAA Tournament berth.
 
All-Region Returners: Following an excellent 2023 campaign, the Golden Eagles welcome the return of All-Region selections Russ Domm (1^st team) and Andrew Taylor (2^nd team). Russ Domm led the way offensively for Brockport, leading the Green and Gold in goals (6), assists (3), points (15), and shots on goal (20). Andrew Taylor was electric between the pipes for Brockport, posting a strong 8-3-5 record while allowing just 0.88 goals per game, and totaling 70 saves on the year.
 
Experienced Returners: Along with returning All-Region selections Russ Domm and Andrew Taylor, the Golden Eagles return an intriguing core of experienced players. DJ Taylor returns to hold down the defensive line for Brockport, along with Senior Giovanni Cardona, with both players starting 16+ games for the Golden Eagles in 2023. Junior Max Voyer and Senior Evan Stevely return to form a strong forward group with Russ Domm, along with senior midfielders Andy Cespedes and Eric Ramirez.

Empire 8 Outlook:

• Vs. Sage, Sep 14th @ 4 p.m. (Home Opener)
• @ Keuka, Sep 21st @ 12 p.m. 
• @ Hartwick, Sep 28th @ 2 p.m.
• Vs. Houghton, Oct 2nd @ 7 p.m.
• Vs. SUNY Poly, Oct 5th @ 2 p.m. 
• Vs. Nazareth, Oct 9th @ 7 p.m.
• @ St. John Fisher, Oct 12th @ 1 p.m.
• @ Alfred, Oct 16th @ 4 p.m. 
• Vs. Elmira, Oct 19th @ 1 p.m.
• @ Utica, Oct 26th @ 7 p.m.
• Vs. Geneseo, Oct 30th @ 4 p.m.   

 
Fresh Faces: The Golden Eagles welcome 12 new freshman additions, made up of Khadim Amar, Nathan Lamendola, Troy Gallagher, Julius Kemp, Ryan Malyniak, Finn Sullivan, Keegan Watson, Elvis Nshimirmana, Mauricio Levia, Alex Linderman, Christan Long, and Matthew Sandison. Brockport also added transfer sophomores Gael Baraldi and Trevor Lagarde to further bolster the roster.
 
Scouting RIT: The Tigers finished 4-6-5 in 2023, posting a 1-6-2 record in Liberty League contests. The Golden Eagles and the Tigers fought to a 1-1 draw in last year's season opener at Brockport, with the two teams holding a head-to-head record of 3-3-2 since 2011.

Scouting Rochester: The Yellowjackets are off to a 0-1, dropping their season opener against Cortland on the road, 2-1, on Friday, August 30th. The Golden Eagles have not fared well in the head-to-head series, dropping the last 2 matchups against the Yellowjackets.  
 
Up Next: The Golden Eagles will return to Rochester on Tuesday, September 3^rd to take on the University of Rochester at 7 p.m.