MEN’S SOCCER 2015-2016 MEDIA GUIDE 2015-2016 MEN’S SOCCER Did you know..........? Table of Contents 1…..Welcome to Rochester 3 The University sponsors 23 Varsity Sports as well as numerous club and intramural sports. Over 60% of students 2…..2015 Season Preview participate in athletics at Rochester. 4…..Returning Player Bios 3 99% of the 1,010 full time faculty hold the highest degrees in their field. 10…Incoming Player Bios 3 Many Rochester graduates have gone on to win the Nobel or 11…Head Coach Chris Apple Pulitzer prize. 3 Rochester offers over 60 different study abroad programs in 12…Coaching Staff Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle 13…2014 Season Review & Awards East. 3 There are over 200 student government, social clubs, 15…The UAA performing arts, religious organizations and pre-professional societies. 16…UAA History 3 Rush Rhees Library is home to more than three million 17…Athletic Facilities volumes and 22,000 periodicals. 3 Rochester has nationally recognized programs in multiple 18…UR All-Time Records disciplines including economics, political science, brain and 19…Program History cognitive science, psychology, history, engineering, music, and optics. 20…Alumni Spotlight 3 In 2007, the University of Rochester was one of only 25 schools named a “New Ivy” by Newsweek. 21…Foreign Tours Rochester is home to players from all across the United States (including 12 different states and 28 Where they are from...* different towns/cities) and 2 international cities. CITIES Acton, MA Penfield, NY Bloomington, MN Penn Yan, NY Brooklyn, NY Pittsburgh, PA Castle Pines, CO Richboro, PA Chalfont, PA Rochester, NY East Greenbush, NY Seven Fields, PA Fair Haven, NJ Sugar Hill, GA Fairport, NY Tacoma, WA Fontana, CA Thornton, PA Honeoye Falls, NY Weston, MA Houston, TX Williamsville, NY *International: Lagrangeville, NY Wilton, NH Caracas, Venezuela Lusaka, Zambia Lancaster, NY Macedon, NY INTERNATIONAL Acknowledgements: Niskayuna, NY Caracas, Venezuela This publication was made possible by the Orlando, FL Lusaka, Zambia generous support of Rochester Soccer Alumni. 2015-2016 MEN’S SOCCER 1 The University of Rochester: Meliora – “Ever Better” Dear Prospective Student, The University of Rochester is one of America’s finest institutions of higher learning. With over 160 years of excellence in teaching, research and scholarship, Rochester has forged a proud academic tradition. Rochester students, faculty and staff strive daily to bolster this rich history through their own ingenuity, creativity and discovery. In the humanities, our students and faculty are studying the masters while creating their own art, music and prose. Social sciences like our political science, economics and psychology departments have earned national recognition for teaching and research. The hard sciences at Rochester such as engineering, optics, bio-medicine and physics are all on the cutting edge in terms of creating knowledge and advancing their respective fields. The Rochester Curriculum is the primary reason that traditional learning co-exists with innovative research and discovery on our campus. Our curriculum is student focused and adheres to the philosophy that everyone does their best work when they follow their own interests. We do not have core requirements at the U of R. Instead, from freshman year onward, students take the classes that interest them. Students have the freedom to seek out coursework that they are passionate about and faculty whom they wish to learn from and collaborate with on research, writing and special projects. Students and faculty alike thrive in our unique educational setting. The Soccer Program at Rochester also boasts a proud tradition. During more than 7 decades of competition the program has earned a winning percentage over 0.629 and individual players have earned 24 All-America honors. Since 1986 we have participated in the NCAA Tournament on 16 occasions, won 10 University Athletic Association titles and 6 Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference championships. As our university motto “Meliora” suggests, the soccer program strives to be “ever better” as we keep finding new ways to achieve higher and higher standards. In 2010, the program earned a school record 6th straight NCAA Tournament berth while playing the 5th most difficult schedule in the nation. In 2014, Rochester Men’s Soccer had its 15th straight winning season on its way to the NCAA tournament for the 9th time in the last 10 years. As the program embarks on its 82nd year this fall we look to continue this well established tradition of excellence. As a national research university, we recruit only the best student-athletes from across the nation. Our facilities are outstanding and include a state of the art weight room, a beautiful 120x75 grass training field, a 5,000-seat lighted stadium with FieldTurf© surface, and we utilize Rightplay performance analysis software to break down each game for team and player development throughout the season. We consistently seek to test ourselves against the best with our University Athletic Association matches and by scheduling nationally ranked opponents and Division I programs. Like our curriculum, our Soccer Program focuses on students. Our staff supports the players in their personal, academic and athletic goals and we challenge them to achieve their full potential in each area. We design training programs for speed, strength, agility, fitness and ball work, and our players develop as athletes during their time here. We also help our players grow in terms of their understanding of themselves and the world around them. Sports psychology, leadership training, service and mentorship programs, and an international tour are all vital components of a four year career at Rochester. Our program is seeking intelligent, talented and thoughtful young men who strive for excellence and growth as students, athletes and as human beings. We bring people into our program who are self-motivated and who thrive on challenge. We offer these enthusiastic individuals an environment that both pushes them to achieve their potential and supports them in their pursuit of personal excellence within a team framework. If this is the type of college and soccer program you are searching for, then take a serious look at the University of Rochester. Sincerely, The University Men’s Soccer Athletic Department Chris Apple President: Joel Seligman Head Coach: Chris Apple Director: George VanderZwaag Provost: Peter Lennie Alma Mater: Rochester ’92 Head Trainer: Eric Rozen Dean of the Faculty: Peter Lennie Record at UR: 177-49-38 Soccer Trainer: Harry Campbell Dean of the College: Richard Feldman Soccer Office Phone: 585- 275-5630 Athletics Phone: (585) 275-4301 Founded: 1850 E-Mail: [email protected] Affiliation: NCAA Div. III Enrollment: 6,266 2014 Overall Record: 10-5-4 Home Field: Fauver Stadium Quick Nickname: Yellowjackets 2014 UAA Record: 3-3-1 Playing Surface: Field Turf ® Colors: Blue and Yellow Letter Winners Returning/Lost: Athletics Website: Facts UR Website: www.rochester.edu 19/11 www.rochester.edu/athletics 2015-2016 MEN’S SOCCER 2 2015 Season Preview The University of Rochester Men’s Soccer Team embarks on the 2015 season looking to build upon its rich soccer tradition. The Yellowjackets return 19 varsity letterman from a squad that went to the 2nd Round of the NCAA Tournament and finished the season ranked #20 in the NSCAA national poll. Despite the loss of eleven seniors to graduation, a talented, young nucleus looks to build on to the program’s history and make their mark at Rochester. Goalkeepers Rochester returns three talented goalkeepers (Marshal Davidson ’16, Michael Shatkin ’17 and Redd Brown ’18) while welcoming an incoming freshman, Patrick Conway. Shatkin brings the most on field experience from the 2014 campaign with 19 starts and a 0.86 goals against average. Both Davidison & Brown worked extremely hard in the offseason to make the spring season very competitive for the starting spot. All three GK’s had solid performances against University at Buffalo during the spring season match. This leaves the coaching staff with plenty of talent and depth to choose from this fall. Defenders The back line will return three athletic, experienced players in Jeff Fafinski ’16, Mike Sergent ’16 and Zach Kanaley ’17. Fafinski and Kanaley bring pace and skill at the wing back positions – making Rochester tough to beat on the outside and dangerous in attack. Mike Sergent appeared in 11 games during the 2014 season and had a strong spring season at center back. Junior Tanner Chester and sophomores Sam Cekala and Pete Martin look to step into more prominent roles and add depth in 2015. The Yellowjackets also welcome several first year backs in Lasha Alkhazishvili, Milan Fatschel, David Gang and Lucas Loecher. 2015-2016 MEN’S SOCCER 3 Midfielders Rochester returns a versatile and skillful group of centeral midfielders in senior Tyler Buck, juniors Ben Swanger and Mike Cross, and sophomore Aleks Dombrowski. Swanger looks to continue his integral role in the middle of the park for the Yellowjackets. He started all 19 games last year and had a strong impact in the NCAA Tournament with a goal in both games. Buck, Cross and Dombrowski bring toughness and passing ability. On the flank, Alex Di Perna ’18, Geoff Rouin ’18 and Alessandro Incerto (a junior transfer), will bring pace and skill along with more experience to the Rochester midfield. Talented incoming players including Patrice Dougé, Alec Hay, Bryce Ikeda, Dalton Munkombwe and Robin Tran are all eager and capable of making an impact for the Yellowjackets.. Forwards The Yellowjackets return a fast and tenacious corps of strikers in 2015. Junior Jeff Greblick returns as the most experienced front Runner with 39 games under his belt. Andrew Greenway adds strength and hard running along with a powerful shot. Brendan Kelly ’17 and Alec Greenhalgh ’18 are both dynamic attacking players with great 1v1 instincts.