RIVERDALE, N.Y. - We are just a few weeks away from the start of the 2023 Manhattan College men's soccer season. The Jaspers will return to the field after a season in which the green and white had all of Riverdale excited last November.
"We are two full seasons beyond the pandemic and each year we have made significant and positive steps in our development as a team and players to get back to competing at the top of the conference," said head coach
Jorden Scott. "We will be leaning on our returning players to set the benchmarks on and off the field for our newcomers, and we as a staff will be ready to listen, adjust, and support in our quest for a MAAC Championship."
The Veterans
Manhattan welcomes back 20 players from last season, including the leading scorer in
Gunnar Studenhofft, who collected 15 points off five goals and five assists. Additional starters returning include midfielder
Henry Hamilton (six goals, 2 assists), defender
Vladimir Lee (2 assists), defender
Anthony Denis (2 goals, 1 assist), defender
Nassim Akki (2 assists), defender
Ensa Sanneh (1 goal), midfielder
James Cotter (1 goal, 3 assists), and midfielder Ayoub Boumalala.
In the net returning for his junior season is
Danny DiMarco. The goalkeeper faced 98 shots, collecting 25 saves and finishing with a 7-2-4 record. DiMarco's goals against average capped at 0.52.
The Newbies
The Jaspers welcome 13 newcomers to the squad in 2023. From freshmen to transfers, Manhattan is locked, loaded, and ready to strike on the pitch.
Reflection….
Manhattan advanced to the semifinals of the 2022 MAAC Tournament. The Jaspers finished the 2022 campaign with a 5-1-4 record in MAAC play to earn the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament. Akki was named the MAAC Defensive Player of the Year and earned College Soccer News Second-Team All-Freshman Team accolades. Eight total Jaspers were named to the first, second, and third team combined.
The Schedule
Manhattan College plays five non-conference matches - Holy Cross, George Wahington, LaSalle, Columbia, and Connecticut - before its first conference game on September 16 versus Canisius. Eight total games are slated to be played at Gaelic Park this season, including a late non-conference match against Forham on September 19.
"We believe in building a schedule filled with elite competition that prepares us for conference play and allows our players to be ready for the challenges ahead tactically, physically, and with rotations," said Scott. "This will be an interesting year for everyone in the MAAC as we adjust to the new format and the scheduling of non-conference opposition."
Follow on Social Media
Make sure to follow the Manhattan College Men's Soccer team on social media.
Instagram - @Jasperssoccer
Twitter - @Jasperssoccer
