Aug. 25, 2008

The 2008 Saint Joseph's men's soccer looks to continue some of the good vibes from 2007 for success this fall. Head coach Tom Turner returns eight of 11 starters that won five games, the most wins in a season since 2003. Turner needs two wins to be the winningest coach in SJU soccer history.

SJU retains two of the most important positions on the field; a veteran goalkeeper and a proven scorer. Senior Bryan Benedict will be between the pipes for a third consecutive year, while reigning Atlantic 10 Rookie and Philadelphia Soccer Seven Freshman of the Year Colin Baker looks to improve on his team-leading eight-goal campaign from a year ago.

Although the attack is led by a sophomore, the team is rich in experience on all parts of the field. Michael McInaw led the offense in 2005 and 2006, but is now a stabilizing force in the midfield, helping the Hawks control the run of play and its distribution.

A trio of senior midfielders join McInaw as Andrew Tursi, Nick Pozzessere and Tom Johnson will patrol the central part of the pitch in 2008. Pozzessere and Johnson will take care of the outside halfback roles and Tursi looks to regain his form after an ankle injury sidelined him for the last seven games of his junior campaign.

A mostly inexperienced defensive line in 2007 earned its stripes through many trials. At its core, third-year starter Travis Gast is the main fullback with sophomores Greg Dusing, Giacomo DiLisi and Rocco Pozzessere shoring up the rest of the line. The youthful and aggressive defensive corps look to turn the Hawks' defense into its offense.

In the reserve roles, Turner has many options to chose from including veterans and rookies alike. Juniors Matteo Chiappini, Bill Layton and Jason Lewis will spell those starters in the midfield and defensive roles. Sophomores D.J. Salmon and Alex Garst will provide depth to the attack and midfield, respectively.

Senior Joe Bodnar, freshman Michael Troha, and junior Joe Fluehr will back up Benedict in net and sophomore Brendan Duddy looks to see valuable time in reserve after missing 2007 with an ankle injury.

Many times, the contributions the freshmen make on a team aren't fully realized until the end of the season, but Turner hopes a solid blend of youth can help spark the Hawks when they need it.

Vito Smurro looks to lead the newcomers up top, while Kevin Rhoades, Greg Rom and Nico Galati shore up the midfield. Jake McPaul, Tom Smart and David Salter are the primary fullbacks for the freshmen contingent.

SJU's task within the Atlantic 10 Conference was made easier when the schedule fell in the Hawks' favor unlike the 2007 schedule. Last season, SJU faced the top four teams; Charlotte, Saint Louis (NCAA participant), UMass (NCAA Semifinalist), and Rhode Island, going 0-4. This season, they face none of those teams and hold a 5-3-1 record from the last games against their 2008 A-10 opponents.

Saint Joseph's will tackle five road games to start the A-10 season with trips to St. Bonaventure, Duquesne, Richmond, George Washington and Temple before hosting Xavier, Dayton, La Salle and Fordham to end the season.

The non-conference schedule sees the Hawks open at Drexel and Delaware, return home to face Navy, then endSeptember with a game at George Mason. The Hawks cap the October portion of the non-conference schedule with games at Rider and at home against NJIT leading into Atlantic 10 play.