Men's Sectional Previews: Northeast

By Henry Loughlin

Third Round - Saturday

Quarterfinals - Sunday

Sectional Final, 1:00 pm ET

How they reached the Sweet 16

2016 Statistical Overview

Amherst Season Review

After losing a star-studded senior class which contributed to last year’s national title team, including goalkeeper Thomas Bull, winger Nico Pascual-Leone, and center forward Greg Singer, many predicted that Amherst would come back to Earth this year. Indeed, there were some bumps along the way: Amherst was thumped 3-0 at Tufts, its most lopsided loss since the 2011 season and its first defeat to the Jumbos since 2005. Up to that point, the Jeffs had bent on numerous occasions this year, but their resiliency ensured that they did not succumb to defeat. For some, though, losing to Tufts was said to be the moment that the dam broke and Amherst fell apart.

While such a loss may have damaged the morale of many teams, Amherst had no such problem. If there’s anything that’s certain about Amherst, it’s that this is a side that fights until the very end. Twice this year, on the road against both MIT and Wesleyan, the Jeffs trailed going into the last 10 minutes of regulation - in fact, the latter game saw them down 2-0 in the last 6 minutes. Yet both times the team found the strength to come back and not just draw, but win both games. That is undeniably admirable. What’s more, Amherst survived a slew of tough NESCAC tournament tests against Trinity (CT), Bowdoin, and Hamilton en route to the Jeffs’ first conference title since 2013. A week later, after receiving a 1st Round bye in the NCAA Tournament, Amherst downed Daniel Webster 3-0 in the 2nd Round, setting up its meeting with Brandeis.

Amherst might be missing some of its standouts, but the team is still extremely formidable front to back. Goalkeeper Lee Owen has had big shoes to fill in replacing Bull, but he has come into his own, and - having made a name for himself as a freshman when he helped the Jeffs defeat St. Lawrence on penalty kicks - has been known to be especially good at saving efforts from 12 yards, which could be crucial given the propensity for NCAA contests to come down to the wire. Center back Cameron Bean anchors a solid defense, which also features dynamic wing back Justin Aoyama. Amherst’s midfield features a number of standouts as well, including Andrew Orozco, Dane Lind, and Bryce Ciambella, who is tied for the team lead in scoring with 8 goals alongside forwards Chris Martin and Weller Hlinomaz. Up top, Amherst’s already-strong front line featuring Martin and Jackson Lenhart has become even more lethal with the addition of Hlinomaz, a transfer from Conn. College who wasted no time making an impact. Moreover, Amherst also features an extremely strong bench, ensuring that the Jeffs have more than enough options to adapt to any situation or opposition.

Last year, Amherst was the prohibitive favorite for most of the season, and - despite a late-October wobble - was able to win the program’s first national championship. They may not be as highly-touted coming into this year, but head coach Justin Serpone relishes the role of the underdog, and will have his side ready to battle in its Sweet 16 matchup with Brandeis.

Brandeis Season Review

After starting the season 3-0, highlighted by a memorable 1-0 win against Haverford, Brandeis looked to be picking up where it left off after winning the UAA last year and making it to the Sweet 16. Things quickly became ominous for the Judges, however, as the team went on a five-game winless run which included non-conference defeats to Babson, Tufts, and Wheaton - all in overtime. Sitting at 3-3-2 on October 1st, Brandeis looked to be well and truly out of contention for an NCAA bid - a fate which seemed even more likely when the Judges fell at Chicago on October 14th.

How things change. Just 2 days after losing to Chicago, few would have fancied Brandeis on the road against WashU, but the Judges came from behind to win 2-1. In addition to non-conference victories over Lasell and Clark, the team then pulled out crucial UAA wins over Emory and Rochester. And though it fell at NYU in the last regular season game, Brandeis’ improved defense and opportunistic finishing proved enough for the Judges to receive their fifth NCAA bid in a row, proving that veteran head coach Mike Coven still has the capability to right the ship in his 44th year on the sidelines.

From 2012 to 2015, Brandeis was fortunate enough to host the first 2 rounds of the NCAA Tournament. This year, despite having to travel to Babson, the Judges managed to advance to the Sweet 16 once again. In the 1st Round, Brandeis downed WNEU in overtime, 2-1, before defeating St. Joseph’s (ME) - a surprise 1st Round victor over Babson on penalty kicks - in the 2nd Round by a comprehensive 3-0 score.

So what changed? After conceding 12 goals in its first 10 games, Brandeis has conceded just 6 in its last 10. Left back Sam Vinson, a transfer from Division I Loyola University of Chicago, has been a revelation, and center back Thales Brito has emerged as a leader alongside fellow center back Kyle Robinson, who has been a mainstay in the Judges’ defense the last 3 years. Moreover, right back Steven DePietto has been solid on the right flank, and plays with veteran confidence in just his second year.

Playing a 4-3-3 formation, Brandeis’ strength is perhaps most evident in its midfield. Christian Hernandez is the archetypal defensive midfielder, and is extremely adept at breaking up attacks. He’s joined by Brandon Miskin, who missed the middle of the season through injury but is now back healthy. At the top of the triangle is Josh Ocel, a D3soccer.com 2nd Team All-American a year ago who, in addition to his 5 goals, has posted a stellar total of 13 assists this season. Up top, Evan Jastremski, Zach Vieira, and Patrick Flahive operate in a dynamic 3-man forward line, and are equally adept at playing on the left, right, and through the middle.

Brandeis’ strength is in possession, and the Judges have also made use of quick counterattacks. Yet while attacking football has been their calling card in recent years, the Judges also possess an increased degree of physicality with players like Ocel and Hernandez. That physical presence will be necessary in the Judges’ Sweet 16 matchup against Amherst, as the host Jeffs will be as feisty and athletic as ever. Buoyed by its return to form, however, Brandeis will be ready.

Rutgers-Newark Season Review

Coming out of the traditionally strong NJAC, Rutgers-Newark has emerged as a postseason regular, making the NCAA Tournament 3 of the past 4 years. A virtually unknown commodity prior to the 2013 season, the Scarlet Raiders have made a name for themselves in the time since then, and look ready to take the next step towards being a national contender.

The Scarlet Raiders got their first bid in program history to the tournament in 2013, as they were given an at-large selection after falling to Rutgers-Camden in the NJAC final. However, the team’s inaugural NCAA adventure ended quickly, as Rutgers-Newark ended up falling 3-1 to Roger Williams at Brandeis. The next year, the team again traveled to Massachusetts to play Babson, and - that time - the program picked up its first NCAA win in the 1st Round, defeating the host Beavers 2-0 with a pair of second-half goals. Rutgers-Newark’s fairytale season came to an end in the next round, however, as the Scarlet Raiders lost a one-goal game to Cortland State, 2-1.

A year ago, the team missed the Big Dance, finishing the regular season with a 12-7-1 record before falling to Montclair State in the NJAC tournament. Even so, the Scarlet Raiders still managed to win the Metro/Upstate ECAC Crown in dominant fashion, outscoring its 3 opponents by a combined score of 9-1 en route to defeating Manhattanville 3-0 in the final in Newark.

This year, Rutgers-Newark made it back to the tournament for the 3rd time in 4 years, and - for the first time - would be hosting a pod. In the 1st Round held last Saturday, the Scarlet Raiders got a 4th minute goal from striker Chigozie Atubi and the defense made it stand up for an invaluable 1-0 victory. The next day, in the 2nd Round of the tournament against Elizabethtown, Rutgers-Newark started hot once again, scoring 2 goals in the first 20 minutes en route to a 2-0 victory.

Freshman striker Fabio De Sousa has made an instant impact in his first year of collegiate play, and leads the team with 14 goals and 8 assists. Even more impressively, 8 of De Sousa’s goals have been game-winners, which puts him 2nd in the country in that category. But the Scarlet Raiders' threats don't end with there: senior midfielder Sebastian Gostynski has 11 goals and 3 assists to his name, and Rutgers-Newark has 12 additional players who have ended up on the scoresheet this season for the 20-3 squad. In net, freshman goalkeeper Andres Medina boasts an .872 save percentage and has a goals against average of .688, both impressive totals. In their game against Elizabethtown, the Scarlet Raiders started 5 freshmen and sophomores and just 1 senior, so Rutgers-Newark has what seems to be the ideal blend of young enthusiasm combined with experienced heads.

This program has quickly developed in the last 3 years under head coach Kevin East, reaching new milestones virtually every year. Now, the Scarlet Raiders can add a Sweet 16 appearance to their CV, and - given the personnel that returns next year - it’s safe to assume that Rutgers-Newark’s best days are yet to come.

Oneonta State Season Review

Pace, skill, and athleticism. Those are 3 of the most notable traits that come to mind that describe the Red Dragons of Oneonta State. The team’s high-pressure, attacking style relies as much on shutting down the opposition as it does on going forward. It could be said that Oneonta’s philosophy is a good example of gegenpressing, the philosophy made famous by Jurgen Klopp at Borussia Dortmund and now Liverpool. Whether you agree with the veracity of that analogy or not, it has to be said that Oneonta’s style is fun to watch.

A Division I school through 2005, the time since the turn of the decade has seen Oneonta emerge as a Division III powerhouse. The Red Dragons have made the NCAA Final Four on 3 occasions during the past 5 years. In 2011, the team fell to Calvin, 4-2 in the National Semifinals. The last 2 years have seen Oneonta State make it to the same round, but fall by the slimmest of margins, losing 3-2 to Wheaton (Ill.) in 2014 and falling on PKs to Amherst after a 0-0 draw last year. It remains to be seen whether the Red Dragons can get over the hump and win it all this year.

The season started rather ominously for Oneonta State, as the team fell to a pair of 1-goal defeats in its first 2 games: 3-2 to Washington and Lee and 1-0 to Rowan. After embarking on a 12-game unbeaten streak, winning all but 1 of those contests (a 0-0 draw at Brockport State), the team again hit a bump, losing 3 of its last 5 regular-season games. The Red Dragons then fell in the SUNYAC Tournament final to Cortland State, 1-0, giving the team a 14-6-1 record and making the possibility of an NCAA bid far from a given. However, the Red Dragons were rewarded by the NCAA with an at-large selection, and they repaid the selection committee's faith by winning in the first 2 rounds at home: 1-0 against St. John Fisher and 2-1 in double-overtime against Eastern, setting up a Sweet 16 date with Rutgers-Newark.

Freshman striker Witman Hernandez, named to the All-SUNYAC 1st Team in his 1st year with the program, leads the Red Dragons in scoring with 11 goals and 5 assists. Hernandez is far from the only threat that Oneonta State has, though, as the Red Dragons have had 14 different goalscorers contribute to their 51-goal haul thus far this year. Moreover, seniors Anthony Passiatore and Hans Purtell were also named 1st Team All-SUNYAC, playing key roles in the Red Dragons' defense and midfield, respectively. First-year goaltender Ryan Wilson has performed admirably in net, boasting a goals against average of .65 and a save percentage of .818. Indeed, Oneonta State has an experienced cast of players to lead the team, while also possessing a young collection of talent that has adjusted to the college game much more quickly than expected.

A tumultuous regular season had the Red Dragons wondering if they’d even make the NCAA Tournament. Indeed, the squad’s 6 losses this season is more defeats than the last 2 years combined. However, Oneonta State also suffered a rough patch at the beginning of last season, going 0-2-1 in mid-September, and still managed to make it to the Final Four, so it’s clear that coach Iain Byrne has this team set up to play its best soccer in November. With a combination of offensive prowess and defensive steeliness, you can be sure that the Red Dragons will be a tough out, no matter the opposition. And with 2 games separating them from yet another Final Four, it would be foolish to count the Red Dragons out.

Head Coaches

Seniors' 4-year Record (through Nov. 13)

Why they will advance to the Final Four

Amherst: Amherst may not have the full lineup of highly-touted players that propelled it to its 1st national title last year, but the Jeffs are as talented and dangerous as ever. In fact, the team’s 17-1-1 record at this point in the season is 2 wins better off than the squad was at this point last year. This weekend, Amherst’s reward for getting by a spirited Brandeis side in the Sweet 16 - a rematch of the teams’ Sweet 16 battle from 2 years ago, won by the Judges on PKs - is a date with either Rutgers-Newark or Oneonta State in Sunday’s Elite 8 matchup. And while either the Scarlet Raiders or the Red Dragons have enough to push the Jeffs all the way, Amherst repeats its Elite 8 triumph of last year with yet another overtime victory to bring Serpone’s squad to its second Final Four in as many years.

Brandeis: Despite 8 blemishes on its record, Brandeis is playing its best soccer at the right time. The Judges down Amherst in their Sweet 16 rematch of 2 years ago, once again prevailing by the slimmest of margins, before meeting either Oneonta State or Rutgers-Newark in the Elite 8. And while either team would almost certainly give Brandeis one of its biggest tests of the season, the Judges’ confidence from beating the defending National Champions on their home field - something Brandeis did to Tufts last year while it was defending its 2014 crown - is enough to help the team get by either of its red-dressed opponents and into the program’s first Final Four since 1984.

Rutgers-Newark: 20 wins in a season doesn’t happen by accident. The Scarlet Raiders prove their 20-3 record is no fluke to Oneonta State in the Sweet 16, as De Sousa leads his team to a one-goal victory over their opponents, in which the squad is forced to survive a furious late onslaught from the Red Dragons. In the next round, Rutgers-Newark cements its legacy as a national contender, downing either Brandeis or Amherst in a barnburner of an Elite 8 matchup decided in overtime. From there, the Scarlet Raiders’ Cinderella season continues, as Rutgers-Newark advances to its first Final Four in program history, with its eyes well and truly on winning it all.

Oneonta State: Having been to the Final Four in the past 2 consecutive years, Oneonta State is determined to get back there again. The Red Dragons dismiss Rutgers-Newark in their Sweet 16 matchup, as Hernandez gets his team on the board early en route to a decisive victory. From there, Oneonta State uses its familiarity with both opponents - the Red Dragons have faced both Brandeis and Amherst in the last 2 years’ Elite 8 and Final Four, respectively - to neutralize their strengths and exploit their weaknesses, as Hernandez and Passiatore prove to be the difference as they have so often for this dynamic, pacey side. At the end of 90 minutes, the Red Dragons have done as Williams did in 2013, when it, too, had 6 regular season losses: advance to the Final Four after a win on Hitchcock Field.

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