Bobcats Eliminated from Playoffs by St. Mary's

The season came to an abrupt end on Saturday as we dropped a heartbreaking 1-0 decision to St. Mary's College in the first round of the CAC playoffs.

We started the game looking pretty solid and had a ton of possession in the first 30 minutes of the game.  We moved the ball around well and didn't let St.Mary's get into much of a rhythm, but just like most of the season the offense never quite did enough to be dangerous.

Late in the first half St. Mary's took advantage of a counter attack and after we defended the initial break they picked up a loose ball in the box and put away the game winning goal with six minutes remaining in the half.

The second half was not what we needed to get back into the game and at the end of the day it would be hard to say we deserved to win.  We certainly could have played better and thought we were capable of winning, but on the afternoon St. Mary's deserved to advance.

The season concludes with a 10-6-3 record.  When we look back at what we accomplished this year after losing 19 players from last years team I'm sure we'll be pretty pleased with our performance, but right now it still stings a little as we thought we had the potential to go a little further.

The good news is that the core of a team that included 16 freshman and sophomores will be coming back and will have gained tremendous experience this past year.  Three of our starting defenders along with our goalkeeper from our nationally ranked defense will be returning to give us the foundation of what we hope will be a championship contender in 2015.  We will need to find a few impact players on offense, but the future is looking good for the Bobcat soccer program.

Valenzuela Lifts Bobcats to Win and #3 Seed

Freshman Rodrigo Valenzuela

In the last regular season game of the year we traveled to Southern Virginia University and came away with the all important 1-0 victory.

With a win or a tie we would clinch a playoff berth, but with a win we knew we would have a very good shot a hosting a first round game. Freshman Rodrigo Valenzuela made sure our seniors would get one more game at Bobcat Stadium when he buried a Nabayee Tesfu rebound into the back of the net for the 1-0 win.

I don't think we played as well as we had hoped, but we controlled most of the play and just had too many silly give-a-ways that led to the Southern Virginia chances, especially in the first half.

In the second half we tightened up the defense and held SVA to just three shots while out-shooting them 19-10 on the evening.  We created some decent chances including 10 corner kicks, but just couldn't get on the board.

With about 6 minutes remaining we had some nice combination play that led to a Nabayee Tesfu shot.  The keeper made the save, but Rodrigo Valenzuela pounced on the loose ball and buried it for the 1-0 win.

Valenzuela Goal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMLZCZPZQqw (goal starts at 1:56:25)

We end the season 10-5-3 and in a 3-way tie (5-3-1) for second place in the CAC.  After tiebreakers we end up as the #3 seed and will face St. Mary's College on Saturday at 3:30pm at Bobcat Stadium.  The boy's are excited to play St. Mary's again as they are one of the teams that defeated us 1-0 during the regular season.

CAC playoff bracket: http://www.cacsports.com/sports/msoc/2014-15/schedule

Bobcats Victorious on Senior Day

Seniors Brandon Lutz, Joe Clarke, Bryan Whitmore, and Bryan Lentine

Saturday night was the final regular season home game for four FSU seniors.  We sent them out on a positive note with a 2-0 win against Marymount University.

We put Wednesday's loss behind us and did a good job of dictating the tempo and the flow of the game in the first half against Marymount.  We were much better with keeping possession and the offense was able to create several good scoring opportunities.  We ended the half with a 13-2 advantage in shots, but only held a 1-0 lead.

Late in the first half Hendrik de Wit picked up a feed from freshman Hunter Strine and sent a well placed shot low and to the corner just out of the reach of the Marymount keeper.

de Wit Goal - http://youtu.be/fr-aUQRsjiM

The second half was more of the same.  We kept the Marymount offense in check and had a few more scoring opportunities, but could only get on the scoreboard one more time.  Brandon Lutz kept a corner kick alive with his head that Brett Basham headed towards the goal before Mitchell Muise finally got the last touch on it to make sure it went into the back of the net.

Muise Goal - http://youtu.be/3XaF4c0hpRs

Although we only had two goals we had a few crossbars along with two off-sides goals called back so we were pleased that the offense was pressing hard and creating opportunities.

The jumbled up CAC playoff picture will not be decided until the final games on Wednesday. Salisbury, Mary Washington, St. Mary's, and Penn St. Harrisburg have all clinched playoff spots while FSU, Christopher Newport, and York will decide the final two spots.

The seedings will be determined by the results on Wednesday and if we win or draw at Southern Virginia we will be in the playoffs and be seeded anywhere from #3 to #6.  The first round of the CAC playoffs will be Saturday afternoon.

Bobcats Suffer First Losing Streak of Season

Things did not go our way Wednesday night in Harrisburg.  We came into the game feeling confident, but had to face a tough regionally ranked opponent in Penn St. Harrisburg.  In the end we suffered our fifth 1-0 loss of the season and dropped into a tie for 6th place in the conference standings

We struggled to find a rhythm and failed to keep possession throughout the match which allowed Harrisburg to have too many opportunities in our half of the field.  We tried to knock the ball around, but failed to complete passes or receive them cleanly which led to a pretty ugly game overall.  The pitch wasn't perfect, but both teams played on the same field so we cant make any excuses about the field conditions.

About 25 minutes into the game a Harrisburg winger attacked from the left flank.  In the process of defending our outside back slipped and lost his balance which allowed the Harrisburg attacker to get an angle for his shot.  The shot caromed off the cross bar and the rebound was pounced on by another Harrisburg attacker for the 1-0 lead.

We tried to press in the 2nd half to create more turnovers, but it seemed like every time we won the ball we would give it right back without creating a scoring opportunity.

Our final home game of the season is Saturday at 7pm against Marymount which will be our senior night.  We will be saying goodbye to seniors; Bryan Whitmore, Bryan Lentine, Joe Clarke, and Brandon Lutz.  We need to win to keep our playoff hopes intact.  Right now we are tied for 6th with York, but these last two games will move some teams around as there are some key match-ups in the final week.

No. 19 Sea Gulls Slip by Bobcats

Sunday afternoon we faced our second nationally ranked team in the last two weeks.  Unfortunately, despite playing one of our better games of the year, we walked off in defeat 1-0 to Salisbury University.

On a cool and breezy afternoon and with a great Homecoming crowd behind them the boys came out and played toe-to-toe with the nationally ranked Salisbury Sea Gulls.  Both teams boast nationally ranked defenses and it showed as there was not many scoring opportunities in the first half.  We held a 4-2 advantage in shots, but both defenses were solid and didn't allow any legitimate scoring opportunities.

I thought it was our best game all year as far as keeping possession and creating an attack rather than just sitting back and defending.  We felt we were playing them even throughout the game and thought we were going to get the breakthrough for the game winner at any moment.

Salisbury held a 5-4 advantage on shots in the 2nd half and got the game winner in the 84th minute. We were solid the whole game in the back except for this one sequence where we left a man open for a pass near the top of the box and then failed to track the give-n-go which allowed the Salisbury attacker to get in behind the back line and slot the ball past our keeper.

The defeat was a heart breaker for the boys and the loss sets us back in the CAC standings with 3-2-1 record and drops us to the 5th seed, if playoffs were to start today.  Overall we are 8-4-3 and have 3 games remaining.

We are on the road Wednesday for a vital game against Penn St. Harrisburg.  PSU sits in the 6th spot with 3-3 record in the CAC.

Tesfu Hat Trick Lifts Bobcats

Sophomore Nabayee Tesfu posted his first career hat trick as we rallied past York (Pa.) for a 3-2 win in CAC action, Wednesday.

Tesfu scored the only goal of the first half and later scored back-to-back goals in the second to complete the comeback.

Tesfu, who entered the game with just two goals on the season, found the net for the first time just 2:29 into action when Spartan keeper Charlie Johnson bobbled a pass that Tesfu buried in the net.

Tesfu Goal: http://youtu.be/a2PSpj-mvrQ

York (4-6-4, 1-3-1 CAC) out-shot us in the opening half, 8-6, but we held the narrow 1-0 lead into the break.  York had better intensity to start the 2nd half and began to dictate the flow of the game. At 56:39 a York player tapped in a loose ball off a free kick to knot the contest at 1-1 and just over five minutes later York scored on a corner kick and grabbed a 2-1 lead.  The marking on both set pieces was suspect and led to open York players being first to the ball in our box.

However, Tesfu had the final say with the game's final two goals. At 74:23, goalkeeper Hassan Mostafa sent a kick to the York 18-yard box to a charging Tesfu who flipped a shot over the York keeper for the 2-2 tie.

Tesfu Goal: http://youtu.be/wt4ggwSiOMg

Late in the 82^nd minute, Tesfu completed the trifecta off an assist from freshman Hunter Strine for the 3-2 victory.

Tesfu goal:  http://youtu.be/wWSmRCWq96w

Mostafa, the reigning CAC Defensive Player of the Week, made four saves for his eighth win.

Our record now stands at 8-3-3 and 3-1-1 in the CAC.  We host Salisbury at 2:00 pm on Sunday for Homecoming Weekend..

Mostafa One of the Top Goalkeepers in the Country

Goalkeeper Hassan Mostafa

For the second time in three weeks, Frostburg sophomore keeper Hassan Mostafa has been named the Capital Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week as announced by the league office, Monday afternoon.

Mostafa posted two shutouts last week and registered 19 saves as the Bobcats finished 1-0-1. He opened the week with a seven-save effort in a 1-0 victory over Mary Washington and followed it up with a career-high 12 saves including a penalty kick save in a 0-0 draw with ninth-ranked Christopher Newport.

His two shutouts raise his season total to seven (nine combined shutouts) and the Columbia, Md. native leads the CAC in saves percentage (.940), goals against (4), goals against average (0.31) and he is second saves (63).

Mostafa is ranked #2 in the nation in save percentage and #5 in goals against average before this weekends shutout of CNU.  His defense leads the nation in save percentage and is #2 in the country in goals against average.

Bobcats Battle #9 Ranked Captains to Draw

Sophomore GK Hassan Mostafa

Saturday afternoon the boys faced their toughest opponent of the year in Christopher Newport University. CNU came into the game as the #9 ranked team in the country and boasting a record of 11-1-1.

It's no surprise that our defense played extremely well, but to hold CNU to a 0-0 draw was an accomplishment.  We started the game with six freshman and three sophomores in the starting line-up. This was the first game CNU was held scoreless all year and as the game progressed you could see a bit of confidence beginning to grow in our youngsters.

The first half was more about absorbing the pressure and doing our best to stay organized in the back. I was very pleased with our work rate and how we competed for all 50/50 balls and loose balls as well.  We were definitely under some duress early in the game.  CNU would register a 12-3 advantage in shots, but the defense was up to the test including a huge penalty kick save by Hassan Mostafa midway through the half.  Brandon Lutz, a senior and first year player for us, was huge in his role as the ball winner in the center of the park.  He was instrumental in breaking up any attack CNU tried to establish in the air.

Senior Defender Brandon Lutz

The second half we began to push back a little and made it a more competitive game.  We had a few opportunities from the run of play and our set pieces we dangerous and almost got us on the board. The shot count was 7-3 in favor of CNU in the 2nd half.

Mostafa was big throughout the contest and made a few key saves when we needed him to keep us in the game.  Our defense leads the nation in overall save percentage and is #2 in the country in goals against average.  Mostafa is #5 in the country in GAA and #2 in save percentage.

We now stand at 7-3-3 and 2-1-1 in the CAC.  The playoffs are now wide open as there have been several upsets this past week.  It doesn't look like there will be any easy games as we get to the home stretch.

We have defending conference champion York at home on Wednesday at 5pm and then in-state rival Salisbury will be here on Sunday for a 2 pm match-up on Homecoming weekend.

Basham's Late Goal Lifts Bobcats Over Mary Washington

Freshman Brett Basham

Freshman Brett Basham scored in the 87th minute on a great sliding volley to lead us past visiting Mary Washington 1-0.

Wednesday night we faced Mary Washington in a crucial CAC match-up.  After dropping points to St. Mary's on Saturday we felt it would be very important to get a win against a very strong UMW team.

The first half was pretty even with few chances for either team.  UMW held a slim 6-5 lead in shots as most of the game was being contested in the midfield.

Second half possession began to favor Mary Washington as we began to drop off our pressure and allowed UMW to get their backs forward and they were successful in finding service into their big forwards.

In typical Frostburg style we defended well and looked to get numbers forward in transition.  When called upon to make the big save Hassan Mostafa was on point and kept Mary Washington off the board for his seventh shut-out of the season.

With the game winding down we were awarded a corner kick from the right side of the field.  After the initial service was contested Mitchell Muise found the ball and played it back out to Nabayee Tesfu who served a great ball back post.  Brett Basham made a great run towards the far post and after the ball just missed the head of a charging Rodrigo Valenzuela Basham was able to slide and volley home the winner with 2:30 remaining to play.

Basham Goal - http://youtu.be/ttp9C8VSfT0

On Saturday we will face conference favorite and #12 ranked team in the nation Christopher Newport at 2pm at Bobcat Stadium.

FSU Loses First CAC Contest to St. Mary's

We suffered a tough loss on Saturday afternoon as we fell to St. Mary's College 1-0.

I thought the game could have gone either way.  Both teams played well and were pretty evenly matched throughout the contest.  Our offense preformed much better, but a post and few good saves by the keeper kept us off the score sheet and was enough to lead St. Mary's to victory.

St. Mary's got their game winner late in the first half when we left a man open on a corner kick and he was able to get a head on it and put it towards the corner passed the out-stretched arms of our goalkeeper.

I was pleased with our performance overall and thought we did some good things with our movement off the ball and our possession in the attacking third.  We still need to fine tune a little more to make sure we have the consistency needed to compete with the top teams as we head into the next two weeks.

Mary Washington will be in town tomorrow night for our third conference game of the season.  It's too early to start talking playoff scenarios, but getting the three points would be crucial after dropping points this past Saturday.

Bobcats Held to Scoreless Draw

We concluded our non-conference season on Tuesday night at Waynesburg.  We were disappointed in the 0-0 draw, but we did record another shut-out and were able to play every healthy player on the roster so it wasn't all bad.

Hassan Mostafa and Jackson Bicknell combined for our seventh shut-out of the season and fifth in a row.

The same struggles we've seen most of the year continue to be our achilles heel.  We had plenty of possession and counter attacking chances, but we were not consistent enough with our final third passes to create good goal scoring opportunities.

The last few games we found a way to get the goal we needed to win the game and that's what a good team does, finds a way to win.  We couldn't do it on Tuesday night and had to settle for the draw.

We end non-conference play with a 5-2-2 record which isn't bad, but we feel we dropped a couple of points that we shouldn't have.

CAC play picks back up this weekend as we travel to St. Mary's College on Saturday.  This is another important road match with playoff implications as St. Mary's is stronger than they were last year and looks to get back in the playoff picture.

After St. Mary's we will be home for four games; Mary Washington, Christopher Newport, York, and Salisbury.  We'll have a good idea of our playoff future after this home stand.

Mostafa Selected as CAC Defensive Player of the Week

YORK, Pa. – Frostburg State goalkeeper Hasan Mostafa has been honored as the Capital Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week, Monday afternoon.

The league announced Mostafa's weekly honor after the sophomore posted a pair of shutout wins last week for the Bobcats. He opened the week with nine saves in a slim 1-0 victory over Hood before capping the week with four saves in a 2-0 shutout of Wesley.

Mostafa has five shutouts on the season and has helped Frostburg to four-straight wins, all via shutout.  He leads the CAC in goals against (3), goals against average (.33), and save percentage (.93).

   

Tesfu Leads Frostburg to First CAC Win

Sophomore Nabayee Tesfu

We opened up CAC play this past weekend at Wesley and earned the three points thanks to goals by Nabayee Tesfu and Rodrigo Valenzuela.

It was a great way to start CAC play and defeating a good Wesley team on the road was no easy accomplishment.

We did some good things in the first half on the ball and our defense was very strong.  I thought we carried the play for most of the half and were rewarded with an early goal when Nabayee Tesfu volleyed home a nice flick from Rodrigo Valenzuela off of a long throw-in at the 17th minute mark.

The second half was much more defensive as Wesley pushed for the equalizer.  We defended very well and only allowed a few scoring chances, but could never get consistent possession of the ball and seemed to be on our heels most of the half.

Late in the match as the game was beginning to open up Rodrigo Valenzuela took a feed from Nelson Mwanza just outside the box and drilled a shot over the keepers head into the top corner to seal the game.

Freshman Rodrigo Valenzuela

We competed well and and showed a good fighting spirit, but we'll need to adjust better to that style of play moving forward if we are going to contend for a CAC championship.

We are back at it Tuesday night as we face Waynesburg in our last non-conference match of the season.

Bobcats Escape with 1-0 Win

Junior Mitchell Musie

Wednesday night we defeated a much improved Hood College 1-0.  It was our fifth win by shut-out and third in a row.

Mitchell Muise scored the game winner on a 50 yard fee kick that was a combination of Mitchell testing the keeper, who seemed to be off his line, and a bit of goalkeeper error as he misjudged the flight of the ball.

Muise Goal: http://youtu.be/KEn9FTSQX4U

The game was similar to many that we have played this year as we had a decent amount of possession in the opponents half, but failed to create good scoring opportunities.  We always seem to be one pass away from solving our offensive issues, but cant quite find that final ball.

The offense is mostly freshman and sophomores so they are making some mistakes, but they are working hard to make creative runs and better decisions in the final third.

As usual the back line and goalkeeper Hassan Mostafa were solid and the team picked up their play and intensity in the second half.

We are on the road for an important game against Wesley this weekend as we open up conference play.  Season results so far would indicate our conference is stronger than last year and it will be a dog fight to see who gets the six spots for the conference tournament.

Set Pieces the Key to FSU Win

Junior Mitchell Muise

Tuesday night we faced former AMCC rival Penn St. Altoona in a non-conference match-up.  Guided by the help of three separate set pieces we defeated Altoona 3-0 and posted another shut out.

It wasn't our best soccer of the season, but at least we continued the trend of finding the back of the net.  Daniel Ramirez got things going early when he scored on a free kick for the second game in a row.

Ramirez Goal: http://youtu.be/wJcdy24IsAE

The rest of the half was a little sloppy as I thought we gave the ball away too much and didn't connect on the simple passes that would have given us more scoring opportunities.

In the second half I thought we came out with a lot more fight and began to influence the direction of the game.  Our midfield began to compete for loose balls and did a good job of keeping possession.

Early in the half Jabiri Hawkins launched a long throw into the box that was headed off the post by Nabayee Tesfu and followed up by Mitchell Muise for the easy score and his first collegiate goal of his career.

Muise Goal: http://youtu.be/uvPQg5Q4fMM

Not more than five minutes later Andrew Bergamaschi launched a long throw in from the other side of the field and Bryan Whitmore headed home the goal for his first of the season and the 3-0 win.

Whitmore Goal: http://youtu.be/3iAzohinbu4

The defense was solid again only allowing 12 shots, but none that were too threatening.  Jackson Bicknell made a great save off an Altoona free kick after relieving Hassan Mostafa in the 75th minute.

We have a bye this weekend and will be back at Bobcat Stadium on Wednesday night at 7pm against Hood College.

Bobcats Explode for Five Goals Against Presidents

The offense finally got on track Saturday afternoon as five different players scored in route to a 5-0 win over Washington and Jefferson College.

Sophomore Nabayee Tesfu got things going early when he made a nice diagonal run in behind the back-line and Brett Basham found him in stride for the breakaway and a 1-0 lead.

Tesfu Goal: http://youtu.be/9OVZK5XdJPc

Late in the half Brett Basham got his head on the end of a corner kick that was targeted for the back of the net, but the W&J defender knocked the ball down with his hand.  He received a red card and we were awarded a penalty kick that Bryan Lentine slotted home for his first of the season.

Lentine Goal: http://youtu.be/9sJxcDvEE0M

W&J started the second half with a good intensity, but with the man advantage we were able to keep them in check and started to knock the ball around and maintained good possession throughout the half.  Daniel Ramirez put the game away when he struck a free kick over the keepers head from about 30 yards out.

Ramirez Goal:  http://youtu.be/lETgRe4IOhY

Hendrik de Wit scored his second of the season late in the game off another nice feed from Basham. de Wit outraced the center back and slipped the ball far-post just passed the keeper.

de Wit Goal: http://youtu.be/E_tATPOMnZk

Austin Campbell scored is first collegiate goal with two minutes remaining after he patiently waited for an angle to put a shot past two defenders and it looked like the goalie never saw it coming.

Campbell Goal: http://youtu.be/iA7mVxiKfD8

We return to action on Tuesday night when we face Penn St. Altoona at 7pm at Bobcat Stadium.

Bobcats Fall to Regionally Ranked Johns Hopkins

Wednesday evening we faced our toughest opponent in Johns Hopkins University who came into the game ranked #8 in the mid-atlantic region.  I thought we battled hard, but in the end we dropped a hard fought 1-0 decision to a better team.

Hopkins moved off the ball very well and had us chasing them around for a while, but I thought we were able to keep their quality chances to a minimum in the first half and our back line was solid along with Hassan Mostafa in goal.

In the second half I thought we played with more confidence, but Hopkins was able to breakthrough and get their goal off a nice combination play.  We had some decent possession in the middle of the field, but our offense was held in check by their backline and we never really got anything going in the final third.

I thought it was a good game for us to learn from as Johns Hopkins' movement and timing off the ball was excellent.  As a young team we react too much rather than anticipating our movements on the pitch and where the ball will be.  If we can just start to see the bigger picture and see one step ahead I think we can start to play at that higher level.

Our four game road trip winds up this weekend as we head to Washington and Jefferson for a 1pm kick-off.

Russell Named to CAC Men's Soccer Silver Anniversary Team

Former Frostburg State men's soccer standout Ryan Russell has been named to the Capital Athletic Conference Men's Soccer Silver Anniversary Team as the CAC celebrates its 25^th Anniversary during the 2014-15 academic year.

Russell earned numerous honors and awards during his two years as a Bobcat. He was twice named the CAC Player of the Year and was a two-time All-CAC First Team honoree. He led the conference in scoring in both seasons and led Frostburg to the CAC Tournament semifinals twice.

As a senior in 2012, Russell helped Frostburg to a 12-3-4 overall record while collecting National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-South Atlantic Region First Team honors. He was also named the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) South Region Offensive Player of the Year.

As a junior, Russell earned NSCAA All-Region honors and led the CAC with 16 goals.

Russell was selected as FSU's Male Athlete of the Year following both seasons at the spring athletic awards banquet.

Each CAC Silver Anniversary Team will feature 25 former or current standouts and the CAC office will announce the teams throughout the 2014-15 academic year.

FSU Comes From Behind to Draw Eastern Mennonite

Saturday afternoon we traveled to Harrisonburg, VA to face Eastern Mennonite University.  We were barely off the bus before we found ourselves down 0-1 and needed a lightning delay to regroup and come back to earn the 1-1 draw.

EMU came out running and we looked very passive and after just 1:30 seconds into the game we were down 0-1 to the Royals.  At about the 12 minute mark we were called off the field for a lightning delay which lasted close to an hour.

That break gave us a much needed opportunity to regroup and go over some things tactically that the boys were struggling with.  When we came back from the break we came out with a lot more fight and passion and began to get ourselves back into the game.  I was very pleased with the end of the half performance, but we were still down by a goal and had some work to do.

Freshman Andrew Jenkins

We came out with great intensity again in the second half and used our pressing defense to our advantage.  After Bryan Whitmore dispossessed an EMU midfielder he found freshman Andrew Jenkins just outside the box.  Jenkins began to dribble and took a long shot from about 25-30 yards out when he noticed the keeper was cheating towards the wrong direction.  The ball beat the keeper near post and we were all tied at one a piece.

http://youtu.be/AXZyp4PSrFA - Jenkins Goal

I thought we did a good job of continuing to press and creating opportunities, but as the story went in the first few games we were unable to find that second goal to get the winner.  I was very pleased with how we responded after the break and if we continue to play with that emotion and fight on the field I think we'll start the see beginnings of a pretty good team taking shape.

We continue our road trip on Wednesday as we travel to Baltimore to Face Johns Hopkins at 7pm.

FSU Posts 2nd Shutout in Win at Bethany College

Sophomore Derek Fuller

Wednesday afternoon was our first road contest of the year.  We typically struggle to adjust to playing our first match on grass after spending all pre-season on a turf field and to make things more interesting the pitch was pretty soft from a heavy weekend rain and the grass was thick because it was too soft to cut.

We played okay at the start, but had our usual inconsistencies with our passing accuracy.  Towards the end of the half we began to dictate the play and do a better job of moving the ball, but could not break down the Bethany defense enough to score.

I thought we would have momentum in the 2nd half, but Bethany came out with more intensity and created the first few opportunities of the half.  I thought our subs did a great job of raising our level of play and after they were inserted into the game we began to get the momentum back.

It took a while, but in the 78th minute sophomore Derek Fuller scored his first collegiate goal to give us the 1-0 victory.  Senior defender Bryan Lentine did a great job of getting involved in the attack and registered the assist after finding Fuller at the back-post.

http://youtu.be/81fDKGAhKYo - Fuller Goal

We are in the middle of a 4 game road trip right now and will be down in Harrisonburg, VA on Saturday to face Eastern Mennonite University at 2pm.

Bobcats Fall in Championship Game

After defeating Juniata on Friday afternoon to start the season off right the FSU men's soccer team dropped a closely contested match to Manhattanville College 0-1 on Saturday in the tournament's championship game.

Friday's game started out a bit chaotic as the boy's seemed to be dealing with opening day butterflies. There was not much flow to the game and possession was at a minimum for both teams.  We went to half feeling like we were lucky to be even at 0-0.

In the second half the boys settled down and started to connect some passes and show some spark in the attacking third.  Juniata did't threaten much as we only allowed two shots in the second half, but all our possession went wasted as we failed to find a game winner in regulation.

Junor Hendrik de Wit

After a punt by Hassan Mostafa, Brian Whitmore and Hendrik de Wit applied good pressure to the ball to help us win it back in the attacking third.  Whitmore found Barak Shechter who fed de Wit with a nice through ball and Hendrik scored his first collegiate goal from about 30 yds out that sailed over the keeper and tucked just under the upper 90 for the game winner in double overtime.

http://youtu.be/R0YbTAgpoDA

Saturday afternoon we would face Manhattanville College in the championship game after they defeated Alfred University 1-0 in double overtime in the night cap on Friday night.

This game was similar to the first half on Friday as neither team really did a great job of keeping the ball and creating good scoring opportunities.  Most of the game was played out in the midfield with a lot of transitions being halted by the opposing back lines.

We probably only had two or three legitimate scoring chances and did not do enough throughout the match to keep the pressure on Manhattanville.  About midway through the second half we failed to clear a corner kick that bounced near post.  The loose ball fell to an open Manhattanville player about 3 yds from the goal and it was put away for the game winning goal.

We can see a lot of potential in what we are doing, but we still have a long way to go to get to the level that will be needed to compete for the CAC playoffs.

Still feeling the affects of pre-season, seven players did not suit up for the opening weekend tournament.  Hopefully by Wednesday we'll get two back as we go on the road to face Bethany College at 4pm.

FSU Men's Soccer Season Preview

FROSTBURG, Md. – The graduation of 13 seniors and the loss of 17 total players from one year to the next would normally signal a rebuilding year. However, that is not the case for 13^th year head coach Keith Byrnes and he believes his 2014 Frostburg State men's soccer team will still be able to compete with anyone in the Capital Athletic Conference.

"Our goal is to finish in the top-six in the league and earn a spot in the Capital Athletic Conference Tournament," mentioned Byrnes, "I think qualifying for the playoffs should always be one of our goals."

That goal does come with some challenges for Byrnes as he welcomes back just four upperclassmen from the 2013 season.

"We have a long way to go with the lineup because of the number of young players we have on the team," added Byrnes. "As the year progresses, I feel we will be in a position to compete with anyone in the conference."

Senior Joe Clarke

Unlike a year ago when the Bobcats featured 13 seniors, this year's roster boasts 16 freshmen and sophomores and a handful of juniors that are appearing on the roster for the first time.

"We are looking at this season as a fresh start because of the number of new players and it has allowed us to implement a new style of play," said Byrnes. "We will be more of a possession oriented team that will play to our strengths, which will be our technical ability and our combination play."

"Last year, we played a different style with our bigger and faster forwards," mentioned Byrnes. "Our returning players this season have done a nice job early on in promoting the new changes. They have taken the team on their shoulders and have helped the younger guys buy into our style of play."

Leading the charge for the Bobcats will be the return of seniors Joe Clarke, Bryan Lentine and Bryan Whitmore, along with junior Mitchell Muise.

"The four have really stepped up and become vocal leaders on the team," said Byrnes. "They have been very positive and provided a great base in which to build from."

Clarke made four starts and played in 16 games as a junior in the midfield. He is the team's returning scoring leader from a year ago after finding the net twice and handing out one assist. This fall, he will switch to the defense and will join Muise in providing a solid back line.

Muise returns as the Bobcats' top defender. He appeared in eight games last fall and helped the Frostburg defensive unit post a 1.34 goals against average with seven shutouts.

Junior Mitchell Muise

Lentine, a midfielder, saw the most action of the group, appearing in all 20 games while making 10 starts. Lentine scored one goal and should take on a larger role this season.

Whitmore missed the 2013 season due to injury, but has returned to the lineup at full strength. As a junior in 2012, he started 16 games and finished fifth on the team in scoring behind three goals and one assist.

Sophomore Hassan Mostafa returns as the team's starting goalkeeper after appearing in 15 games as a freshman. He finished with eight wins and made 39 saves.

Sophomore Chris Herbert started 15 of 18 games in the midfield a year ago and should again earn a starting spot. The coaches like his energy in the midfield and he should improve on his numbers (3 goals) in his second year.

 

Other returning Bobcats are; goalkeeper Jackson Bicknell, forward Nabayee Tesfu, forward Derek Fuller, and defender Anthony Depaz.  Red-shirt sophomore Jonathan Lippitt hopes to return to the line-up once cleared by Doctors.  Lippitt started the first three games of the season and then after receiving a concussion missed the rest of the season and was awarded a medical hardship waiver.

 

Joining the Bobcats will be three transfers; Barak Shechter and Nelson Mwanza from Montgomery College Rockville and Connor Eberly from Potomac State College.  Hedrik de Wit and Daniel Ramirez will join the squad after having a sold spring season as walk-ons to the program.

 

The freshman class will consist of 8 players including Brett Basham, Rodrigo Valenzuela, Austin Campbell, Hunter Strine, Owen Marx, Andrew Jenkins, Andrew Bergamaschi, and Jabiri Hawkins, 

Bobcats Salvage 2-2 Draw with Alumni

This past Saturday was our annual pre-season alumni scrimmage which typically ends the tryout process for the men's soccer team.  The Alumni represented in good numbers with a healthy roster of 20 plus players and a few injured "coaches" on the bench for good measure.

The game was deadlocked for a while but midway through the 2nd period (played three 30's) birthday boy Collin Sainz found the back of the net to give the Alumni the 1-0 lead.  After the best shot of his life rang off the upper 90 from about 35 yards out, Kunle Akinfeleye finished off a loose ball in front of the net to push the lead to 2-0.

The boys were feeling the affects from a long week of pre-season and nine guys had to sit out the match due to injury.  Going into the final 30 minute period we were forced to throw Coach KMac on the field along with goalkeeper Hassan Mostafa to make sure we had enough healthy bodies.  We began to put some opportunities together and finally got on the board with about 5 minutes remaining.  After a give away in the middle of the field, Nabayee Tesfu received a through ball in behind the back line and slipped it under the keeper with about one minute to play to tie the game at two.

Overall we had a very competitive game and escaped without any major injuries.  I wanted to thank all the Alumni that made it up to watch and play.  Its always a great time of year when we can catch up with old friends and re-live some of the glory days.

Boy's Participate in First Annual Allegheny Trail 5K

A new pre-season tradition was born this year as we had the boy's participate in a 5K run along the Greater Allegheny Passage as part of our pre-season conditioning. 

Now complete to Pittsburgh, the 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage connects with the 184.5-mile C&O Canal Towpath at Cumberland, MD to create a 334.5-mile route between Pittsburgh and Washington, DC, free from traffic and motorized vehicles. The Montour Branch will, when completed, will connect McKeesport to the Pittsburgh International Airport and Coraopolis.

Teams were selected randomly in groups of three or four and then we just averaged everyone's times to see which team recorded the lowest overall time.

The team of Mitchell Muise, Derek Fuller, and Coach Kevin McCarthy finished with a respectable time of 20:41.  Most of the other teams were between 21 and 22 minutes, so not bad, but still a little work to do on our fitness and endurance.

The team at the beginning of the trail
 

Musie Selected as Team Captain

Junior Mitchell Muise has been selected as the team captain of the 2014 Bobcat Soccer Team.                                                                                

 

Muise started in all 19 games his freshman year in 2011 at center back and helped guide the Bobcats to an 11-3-5 record and semi-final appearance in the CAC Playoffs.

After ankle surgery at the end of the spring semester Muise missed the entire 2012 season, but returned to the squad in 2013 in limited action.  Mitchell progressively got back in shape and was able to return for the teams final 8 games of the season and started 5 of those games, including 4 post-season matches in the CAC and ECAC playoffs.

Muise will guide a young Frostburg team this year that will have to replace 17 players including the experience of 13 seniors.  Mitchell will be the lone returning starter in the back line, so his leadership will be tested as he tries to guide the young Bobcats into the CAC Playoffs for the fourth straight season.

Liberatore added to Bearcats Staff

Louis Liberatore begins his first season as an assistant coach at Binghamton in 2014. He arrives from Frostburg State, where he was the graduate assistant coach for the men's and women’s soccer teams the past two seasons. As the goalkeeper coach, he helped guide the squad to 25 and 22 wins respectively during that time period.

Prior to his stint at Frostburg State, Liberatore was a volunteer assistant goalkeeper coach at his alma mater, Belmont Abbey, during the 2011-12 academic year. At the same time, he was the assistant director of goalkeeper for the Gaston United Soccer Club.

A five-year letterwinner at Belmont Abbey, Liberatore graduated in 2012 with a double major in sports management and sports psychology. A two-year team captain, he was named both All-Conference Carolinas and Academic All-Conference Carolinas.

Liberatore holds a NSCAA National Diploma as well as a Level III Goalkeeping Diploma.

THE LIBERATORE FILE
2014-Present: Assistant Coach, Binghamton University
2012-14: Graduate Assistant Coach, Frostburg State University Women’s Team
2011-12: Volunteer Assistant Coach, Belmont Abbey

Rutkowski Named Head Coach at Centenary College of Louisiana

Congratulations to Emmett Rutkowski on landing his first Head Coaching job at Centenary College of Louisiana.  Centenary is a Division III program that competes in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.

The Centenary Department of Athletics and Director of Athletics and Wellness Ronda Seagraves announces the hiring of Emmett Rutkowski as the head men’s soccer coach, effective April 1st.

"I am extremely excited and humbled to be named the next head men’s soccer coach at Centenary College of Louisiana.  I want to thank Mrs. Seagraves for the opportunity to lead the men’s soccer program into a new era,” said Rutkowski. “The program has a rich history of success athletically and academically and I look forward to competing in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference."

Rutkowski joins the Centenary staff after serving as an assistant coach at Mercer University in the Atlantic Sun Conference since July 23, 2013.

"I am extremely pleased that Emmett Rutkowski will be taking over the reins of the men's soccer program. Through the search process he distinguished himself as a 'go getter' with a passion for recruiting, teaching and developing players,” stated Seagraves. “His background and experience are a great fit as Centenary completes the transition to NCAA Division III membership. Having played and coached at the DIII level as well as building a recruiting base at two strong private DI institutions Coach Rutkowski understands the type of student-athletes the Gents recruit. He is a great fit for our institution and the men's soccer program."

While at Mercer, Rutkowski helped lead the Bears to the A Sun semifinals and mentored preseason A Sun goalkeeper and defender of the Year, Greg Ranjitsingh and Ashani Samuels. The Bears also excelled in the classroom as 80 percent of the men’s soccer team received a 3.0 GPA or higher for the 2013 fall semester and the squad earned the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Team Academic Award.

Prior to his stint in Macon, Ga., Rutkowski served as the goalkeeper coach for the Dartmouth Big Green during the 2012 season. In his lone season at Dartmouth, he guided starting goalkeeper Noah Cohen to a 9-7 record, a 1.30 goals against average, two shutouts and a Team MVP honor.

Rutkowski spent two years as an assistant coach at Frostburg State in Maryland. During his time with the Bobcats, the team improved from 4-10-3 in his first season to 11-3-5 in the second year.

Rutkowski played his college soccer at the University of Mary Washington from 2006-2010, where he was a first-team All-Conference and All-Region goalkeeper as a senior. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from UMW in 2010.

After playing semi-professionally in the Premier Developmental League (PDL) with the Fredericksburg Hotspurs, Rutkowski went back to school and earned his Masters of Education from Frostburg State in the spring of 2012. Rutkowski also holds a USSF National "B" Coaching License and an NSCAA Goalkeeping “Level II” diploma

FSU Alumni Reach Semi-Finals of 2014 Red Wolf Tournament

A group of FSU Alumni (and friend) from the late 80's and early 90's got together for the 2014 Red Wolf Indoor Soccer Tournament a few weeks ago and advanced to the semi-finals.

Congratulations to the Boys on a strong performance.

Back Row - Jay Hegeman, Craig Silverglade, Greg Dassele, Mike St. Martin, Brian Wright, Phil Sporer, James Fuss, and Mark Urban
Front Row - Keith Walter, Jim Eppard, Pete Tytus, John Teluk, Brian McMearty, Lance James
Front Center - Derek Woodward