July 6, 2011

PHILADELPHIA - The Saint Joseph's men's soccer team finished its 2010 season with a record of 2-15-0 overall and 1-8-0 in the Atlantic 10 under first year head coach Don D'Ambra. Although it was a rebuilding year for the program with nearly 50 percent of the squad comprised of freshmen (15), the team showed signs of improvement from 2009.

The Hawks fired more shots this season with 144 to its total of 118 the previous year and held its opponents to 38 goals, improving from 51 allowed in 2009.

The squad opened its season with two home games including a loss to Penn in its season opener and then fell 3-2 in a hard fought match to Towson. The Tigers scored two goals in the first half and the Hawks came back to knot the game at the 52:18 mark. The Hawks' defense only allowed the Tigers fours shots in the second half but Towson scored in the 78th minute to take the win.

The Hawks then hit the road for four games including two in the Pittsburgh Nike tournament. They dropped a 1-0 match to Duquense and suffered losses to Pittsburgh, Cornell, and Villanova before returning home for two games.

Snapping a 24-game losing streak the Hawks defeated Iona, 1-0, in its first win of the season. Freshman Patrick McGlynn dribbled a ball down the center of the field in the second half and blasted it into the lower right corner of the net for his first career goal and the game-winner. In goal freshman Michael Moulton made nine saves including two big saves in the last 10 minutes of the game to record his first career shutout.

Moulton was named Philadelphia Soccer Six Co-Player of the Week for his performance against Iona as well as his six saves against Villanova after taking over goalkeeping duties in the second half.

The Hawks then dropped a 1-0 loss to La Salle at home and their first three conference matches on the road to Temple, Xavier, and Dayton.

SJU returned home to earn its second win of the season, 2-0, over Rhode Island. Moulton made nine saves in net once again to post his second shutout. After a scoreless first half senior Colin Baker took a cross from the right side of the field and volleyed the ball into the upper left corner of the net to put the Hawks up 1-0. He sealed the win in the 78th minute, as he tapped in a rebound off the Rams goalkeeper.

Baker was named Atlantic 10 Player of the Week for his performance against Rhode Island while Moulton was tabbed Soccer Six Player of the Week for his nine saves against URI and his 10 saves in the Hawks 1-0 loss to Massachusetts two days later. The Minutemen scored the lone goal of the game in the 80th minute on backwards pass that was fired high into the back of the net as it brushed the tips of Moulton's fingers.

Moulton then went on to make 12 saves between the pipes as the Hawks fell to Charlotte, which was undefeated (6-0) in the Atlantic 10 and finished the season 8-1.

The Hawks fell to the 2009 A-10 champion Saint Louis in its final road game and closed out its season at home, falling to Richmond and George Washington.

The Hawks graduated seven seniors including Colin Baker, Giacomo DiLisi, Greg Dusing, Alex Garst, Rocco Pozzessere, Kevin Rhoades, and D.J. Salmon.

Junior defender Tom Smart was named to the 2010 Philadelphia Soccer Six All-Star team as the Hawks landed a player on the All-Star team for the 19th straight season.