The MAAC Preseason Polls for Men’s Soccer didn’t give Marist much slack. As a team, the Red Foxes were ranked at seventh, directly below Monmouth and Manhattan.
The Preseason All-MAAC team only featured sophomore forward Allen Gavilanes, who was also named the 2018 Preseason Player of the Year.
Fast-forward through the 2018 regular season, and the Marist Red Foxes finished as the third seed. Now, they’re headed to the Semifinals and a date with second seed Quinnipiac. Not only that, but Marist players made a statement in the 2018 All-MAAC awards.
Junior Samad Bounthong joins Gavilanes on the All-MAAC First Team. Between the two, they managed 10 goals and eight assists. Though Gavilanes’ goal total saw a drop from eight to five in 2018, a career high of five goals on the season for Bounthong lightened his load.
Most importantly, the two combined for five game winning goals, an improvement for both. Displaying their clutch play, Gavilanes and Bounthong are imperative parts of head coach Matt Viggiano’s scheme going forward.
Freshman standout Skylar Conway added to Marist’s representation on the conference stage, taking home All-MAAC Second Team and an All-Rookie nod. With three goals and four assists, Conway has made himself a top contributor on the team. He started all 17 of the games he appeared in and is a staple for Viggiano’s attacking style.
All three players will need to continue their form if the Red Foxes are to get through Quinnipiac and play in the MAAC Championship game. It would be the first chance to come during Viggiano’s head coaching tenure.
Edited by Will Bjarnar