Men’s Soccer | 8/26/2022 9:02:04 AM
Nazareth College will look to repeat as Empire 8 Champions, as the 2022 season gets underway on Sept. 1. League play for the 10 Empire 8 teams begins on Sept. 17 The top six teams will advance to the Empire 8 Championship Tournament, which will take place with first round action on Tuesday, Nov. 1, semifinal round games on Thursday, Nov. 3 and the championship three days later on Saturday, Nov. 5. The Empire 8 Champion will receive an automatic berth into the 2022 NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship.
Fans can watch the action all season long, free of charge Empire 8 Network.
Empire 8 Men’s Soccer Players to Watch
Justin Bonetto, St. John Fisher, Gr., M, Buffalo, NY/Williamsville North – Bonetto, a two-time E8 Player to Watch, was named the Spring 2021 Empire 8 Player of the Year and is a two-time All-E8 first team selection.
Tom Callery, Keuka, Sr., D, Hilton, NY/Hilton – Callery appeared in 16 games for the Wolves in 2021, playing 1,450 minutes while collecting a goal and adding one assist from the backend.
Ander Castillo, Medaille, So., F, Bilbao, Spain/Mater Dei Catholic – Castillo was named the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Offensive Player and Newcomer of the Year after leading the NCAA with 25 goals and 1.47 goals per game in 2021. He also tallied seven game-winning goals.
Lutho Mlunguza, Elmira, Sr., F, Cape Vincent, South Africa/Wynberg – Mlungaza earned All-Empire 8 second team honors in 2021, finishing with 19 points on eight goals and three assists.
William Moore, Alfred, So., M, Stormville, NY/John Jay – Moore tallied five points during his debut season and played a large role in Alfred’s late season push towards the Empire 8 postseason berth.
Byamungu Mugushu, Utica, Jr., F, Syracuse, NY/Bishop Grimes – Mugushu was second on the team in scoring with 11 points on four goals and three assists in 2021. All four of his goals came in the last six games of the season.
Oscar Palacios, Houghton, Jr., D, Puebla, Mexico/Puebla Christian – Palacios earned All-Empire 8 second team accolades last spring, while helping lead Houghton to the Empire 8 Championship match.
Christian Vaalstuen, Russell Sage, Sr., M/F, Lillestrom, Norway/Lambertseter Athletic – Vaalstuen garnered
All-Empire 8 second team accolades for the third straight season 2021 and enters 2022 with 18 goals and 41 career points.
Andrew Vogler, Nazareth, Sr., D, Dansville, NY/Dansville – Vogler earned All-Empire 8 first team honors in 2021 and was also a 2021 United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-Region pick.
Jake Zona, Hartwick, Sr., F, Liverpool, NY/Liverpool – Zona scored three goals for the Hawks in 2021 and has 16 points in 32 career games. He was an All-Empire 8 second team selection in 2019.
Team Capsules (Sorted by 2022 Standings)
Nazareth
Nazareth will look for its third Empire 8 Championship in the last four seasons in 2022. Nazareth, who won the 2021 E8 crown and competed in the NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Tournament, returns 10 starters and 22 players, including senior standouts Andrew Vogler and fellow All-Empire 8 first team selections Drew Decker, Cooper LaValley, Jake Pawlika and goalkeeper Logan Menna. Decker, Pawlika and Menna were all freshmen in 2021. In addition, All-Empire 8 third team selections, sophomores Alexander Gent and Owen Brignati return to lead a deep defensive unit, while transfers Cuneyt Vardar and Matt Bamford will also add firepower in the midfield. . Overall, Nazareth is looking to win its sixth Empire 8 title this season and third under reigning Empire 8 Doug May Coach of the Year Matt Tantalo.
Houghton
Houghton advanced to the Empire 8 Championship game for the second time in program history last season and returns 21 players and a pair of All-Empire 8 selections, including first team pick Andy Loomis and second team pick Oscar Palacios. Loomis finished among the league leaders in scoring with 23 points on seven goals and nine assists. Alex Kalivoda returns after tallying nine points on three goals and three assists, while Logan Schrock, Isaiah Miller and Jonah Ewing each played in all 20 games last season.
Utica
The Pioneers return 15 players and six starters from last season’s team that advanced to the Empire 8 Semifinals for the first time since 2014 after finishing 6-2-0 in league play. While Utica will look to replace Sory Konate, the 2021 Empire 8 Player of the Year, Byamungu Mugushu, Cody Baker-Green and Nick Webster will look to play an expanded role in 2022. Baker-Green was an All-Empire 8 second team pick last season. Goalkeeper Foti Xidias returns after earning All-Empire 8 third team accolades in 2021
St. John Fisher
St. John Fisher will look to garner his second Empire 8 Championship in three seasons in 2022. The Cardinals took eventual Empire 8 Champions Nazareth to penalty kicks in the league semifinal a year ago and returned 25 players and 11 starters from that team. Six All-Conference selections return, including reigning Rookie of the Year Riley Rease, Spring 2021 Player of the Year Justin Bonetto, Spring 2021 co-Goalkeeper of the Year Jadon Schlierf, Jackson Bishop, Matt Gentile and Ryan Brown. In addition, head coach Jack Burgasser has brought in a talented group of newcomers, including graduate transfer Parker Hotchkiss, who played at St. Lawrence University, Jacob McGinnis, Nick Rippe and Tommy Mullane.
Alfred
Alfred advanced to the Empire 8 Tournament for the third straight season in 2021 and returns 18 players from that team, including senior Justin Eaton, who was the 2019 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year but missed most of last season due to injury. Joachin Acosta Gholdi, Noam Sokolovski, William Moore, Sai Baraka, Matthew Wedzik, Calum Holbrook and Nathan Croscut-Miller will also be counted on to lead the way. Chase Freeland joins the Saxons as a transfer from Roberts Wesleyan University and will be expected to step right in and contribute.
Elmira
The Soaring Eagles returned 19 players from last season’s team that was in contention for an Empire 8 postseason berth until the final day of the regular season. Senior midfielder Lutho Mlungaza, an All-Empire 8 second team selection in 2021 will be counted on to lead the way for the Soaring Eagles, along with fellow upperclassmen Gavin Wise, Nicholas Zanger sophomore forward Kodel Frontin. Second year head coach Lamine Balde has brought in a strong group of incoming student-athletes who will live for immediate playing time.
Russell Sage
The Gators of Russell Sage will look to win their first Empire 8 Championship in 2022. Russell Sage will have a new look in 2022, as first-year head coach Amir Pasic takes over the program and returns a number of talented returnees. Christian Vaalstuen was the team’s leader in points with 12 points on four goals and four assists in 2021, earning All-Empire 8 second team accolades for the third consecutive season. Midfielder Jason Breznak was an All-E8 third team selection in 2021, while junior Ian Maguire and sophomore Mason Kievit will be counted on to play a bigger role in 2022.
Hartwick
The Hawks return 16 players, including 10 starters from last season’s squad that went 6-2-2 at home on Elmore Field. Hartwick returns a strong mix of veterans, coupled with several promising newcomers as they search for their first Empire 8 postseason berth after playing as a Division I program until 2017. Senior Jake Zone, junior Jim Mahony and sophomore Matteo Sweet will be counted on to lead for the Hawks in 2022. Zona was an All-Empire 8 second team selection in 2019, while Mahony was an All-E8 third team pick in 2021.
Keuka
Keuka will look to continue to grow in his second season as an Empire 8 member. The Wolves return half of their scoring from last year and will look towards a combination of veteran experience and incoming talent to shore up the backline, as 11 players, including seven starters return. Senior defender Tom Callery will be expected to lead the Wolves both on and off the field. Midfielders Connor Thorpe, Sean Malley and Nicolas Leone will also be counted on to excel on both ends of the field.
Medaille
Medaille is set to make its Empire 8 men’s soccer debut in 2022. The Mavericks won the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) regular season crown last season, while finishing 13-4-1 overall for head coach Sean Hallas. All 11 starters return for the Mavericks, including sophomore Ander Castillo was named the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Offensive Player and Newcomer of the Year after leading the NCAA with 25 goals and 1.47 goals per game in 2021. Fellow sophomores Sean Burke, Rodrigo Fernandez and Celso Juberias are back to help lead the way for the Mavericks, along with junior Eric Metade, who dished out a team-best 10 assists in 2021.
Final 2021 Empire 8 Men’s Soccer Standings
Nazareth (13-2-3, 7-0-1 E8, 22 points) – League Champions
Houghton (8-12-0, 6-2-0 E8, 18 points)
Utica (9-7-1, 6-2-0 E8, 18 points)
St. John Fisher (6-7-4, 4-3-1 E8, 13 points)
Alfred (4-11-2, 3-5-0 E8, 9 points)
Elmira (9-9-0, 3-5-0 E8, 9 points)
Russell Sage (8-7-2, 3-5-0 E8, 9 points)
Hartwick (6-8-2, 1-6-1 E8, 4 points)
Keuka (3-11-2, 1-6-1 E8, 4 points)
^ Medaille will make its Empire 8 debut this fall
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit www.empire8.com and YouTube
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