The New York University men's soccer team kicks off its 2015 season on Tuesday, September 1, at 7:30 pm when the Violets host the Hunter College Hawks at Gaelic Park in Riverdale, NY.
The Violets are coming off an 11-7-1 season in 2014, a campaign in which they advanced to the semifinals of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Metro/Upstate Championship.
Now in his 20
th season, Head Coach
Joe Behan is preparing his team for another winning season. Over his first 19 years, Behan's teams have compiled a 174-145-35 record and made three NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the Final Four in 2006. His number one goal this season is to improve on NYU's standing in the highly-competitive University Athletic Association (UAA). Last year, the Violets finished 2-5-0 in the UAA. This season, the Association campaign begins on October 3 against Case Western Reserve University.
"Case always has a good squad," Behan explained. "We lost a tough (1-0) match to them last year. It's imperative that we get off to a winning start to our UAA season."
The 2015 UAA schedule will be even tougher than usual this season, as the final three match-ups will all be on the road.
"It will be a challenging end to the season," Behan stated. "The goal is to have something significant to play for in those last three games."
The team's leader in points and goals last season, forward
Malcolm Montilus returns for his sophomore campaign. As a freshman, Montilus was named ECAC Metro Co-Rookie of the Year and First Team All-Star, as well as Second Team All-UAA.
"Malcolm's accomplishments on the field were a key to our success last year. We hope to see a return performance this season," said Behan. "Fellow forward
Nic Notaro also played a pivotal role in the team's attack along with Montilus."
Also returning is junior captain
Petter Aasa. The team leader in assists last season earned ECAC Second Team All-Star and Second Team All-UAA honors.
Junior goalkeeper
Lucas Doucette returns after a campaign in which he earned Honorable Mention All-UAA. He compiled six shutouts and a season-high 11 saves vs. William Paterson in the ECAC Metro/Upstate Championship quarterfinals.
"As always, a commitment to a hard-work ethic will be our challenge," Behan said.
