With Marist men’s soccer coming off a pair of wire-to-wire wins over Canisius and Quinnipiac, they now sport a 5-6 overall record and a 2-1 record in MAAC Conference play. With five matches remaining in conference play, we gathered some of our writers to identify strengths and weaknesses at this point in the season.
At this point in the season, many roles on the roster have become solidified. With both underclassmen and veteran players establishing themselves, who has impressed you the most so far?
Luke Sassa, Men’s Soccer Beat Writer: I have been steadily impressed by the play of graduate student goalkeeper Jamie Lowell, who has made tremendous strides over his time in Poughkeepsie. A rough start to the season could easily be chalked up to facing strong competition in Wisconsin and Marquette. After allowing 10 goals in the first two matches, Lowell has only ceded 13 goals in the nine matches since then, good for 1.44 goals against average. Lowell has made diving saves with regularity and has served as a vocal presence on the back in, helping to direct other defenders including Nicholas Sanchez and Gijs Verheul.
Benjamin Rossi, Contributor: I feel like a common answer is senior forward Richard Morel because of the goal-scoring he has provided for the Red Foxes. However, I will go with sophomore midfielder Arion Ulaj, who has found his grove as a playmaker with three assists in his last five games. We have seen his minutes steadily increase as the season has progressed. His assist in the Fordham game may go down as the most important goal for Marist in the season and he helped create that scoring opportunity. I believe we will have our eyes on Ulaj not just this season but for the remainder of his collegiate career.
Michael De Jesus, Contributor: Coming onto the scene from the Netherlands, the Verheul brothers, freshmen forward/midfielder Chris and defender Gijs, have supplied a youthful burst of energy to the Red Foxes. Halfway through the season, Chris has posted three points, including the game-winning goal against Army, while Gijs has two points and broke open the scoring in the 3-2 victory against LIU. Their contributions, coming into the starting lineup early in the season, have significantly impacted the Red Foxes’ performances halfway through the season.
Sean Keag, Contributor: The sophomore defenseman out of Ottowa, Ontario, Joseph Daher has been very impressive for the Red Foxes this season. In ten games played so far, Daher has started each of these games. In six out of those ten games, Daher has played every minute and has provided the most minutes on the roster for head coach Matt Viggiano. The sophomore standout has been one of the most consistent players on this squad. As a freshman, Daher appeared in 16 games and started in 14 of them. Going forward and especially in their upcoming conference games, Marist will depend on their defensive backline to lead them to success.
So far, Marist has a 3-1 record at home but a 2-5 on the road, recently losing a pair of winnable road contests to Fairfield and Lehigh. What has been the difference for Marist in their road losses compared to their home wins?
Luke Sassa: Up until their most recent road win against Quinnipiac, Marist has been plagued on the road by an inability to close out solid showings. In the 2-1 loss to Fairfield, after scoring early, Marist then allowed a pair of quick strikes and could not find the equalizer despite dominating most offensive metrics. And in the 2-1 road loss to Lehigh, a late penalty kick doomed their chances of closing out a draw. Matches like this have been a common theme over the past few seasons, but fortunately for Marist, things seem to be trending in the right direction. The Red Foxes genuinely seem to have turned a corner in winning three straight home matches, as they often have played with purpose and kept the mistakes to a minimum for the duration of the match. Marist did just prove they can take this playstyle on the road in shutting out Quinnipiac; they’ll have another chance to prove this later today against a stronger opponent in Iona.
Benjamin Rossi: The season began with three very tough road matches for Marist and I believe the Red Foxes were simply outmatched and the better team won those games. I feel like the tough matches to start the season initially made it difficult for Marist to find their identity as a team. When taking a look at two recent road matches against Fairfield and Lehigh, it came down to little mistakes, some of which could be caused by miscommunications. In the Fairfield game, which was played in poor weather conditions, Marist gave up a seemingly uncharacteristic goal with some miscommunication on the defense allowing a seemingly easy shot ending in a William Pierce goal. We also saw it against Lehigh with the late penalty kick. These are mistakes that I feel happen less frequently when teams play at home because of the extra comfort that comes from playing on your home field with the fans behind you.
Michael De Jesus: When looking at the performances away from Tenney Stadium, the Red Foxes seem to need help with generating offense. The team scored three goals in six away matches prior to their most recent road win, and the offense has at times struggled to build upon early goals. Even in a recent 2-0 road win over Quinnipiac, Marist did not score until the second half. Against top-flight competition in Wisconsin, Marist was outshot 10-1 in the first half, and against Cornell, the team did not record a single shot compared to nine on the opposing side in the first half. In contrast, while at home, Marist shows a completely opposite trend offensively. Against LIU and Canisius, the team scored two goals in the first period and recorded 15 and 18 shots in both games, respectively. The stark difference lies in the early offensive pressure; when the Red Foxes’ offense loosens early, victory is almost certain. However, if they pace themselves slowly, the opposing team tends to run away early.
Sean Keag: In both games on the road against Fairfield and Lehigh, Marist has struggled to close out the game. In both contests, the Red Foxes scored first and early on into the match. Lehigh and Fairfield found ways to find the back of the net even though they both took fewer shots than Marist. Marist has at times been unable to capitalize on their opportunities in front of the net. I think on the road, the Red Foxes could improve on their composure in the attacking third. On the contrary, Marist has thrived on the attack at home. The team slotted four goals against their conference opponent, Canisius. Marist at home that day took 18 shots, with 11 of those coming in the second half. The team probably could have broken this one open even more, but overall at home, they have looked much more lethal on their opponents’ side of the field.
Which teams in the MAAC stick out so far as contenders to not only make the tournament but also potentially win it?
Luke Sassa: Iona led the preseason Coaches’ Poll, in which Thiago Cagna was named co-Preseason Player of the Year. The senior midfielder has dished out six assists to his teammates as part of a balanced attack also buoyed by junior midfielder Sergio Gonzalez Fernandez (six goals, three assists). All told, Iona has had a dozen players score at least once this season and four players score multiple times, highlighting their unparalleled roster depth in the MAAC. An up-and-down season has featured more ups as of late, as the Gaels enter today unbeaten in four of their past five matches.
Benjamin Rossi: I really like Siena, as they just topped preseason favorite Iona in a 2-1 match that provided a fantastic preview for the MAAC tournament. Siena currently has only eleven goals allowed on the season which is the best in the conference and they are ranked 11th in saves which is a testament to their defense and how solid it has been up to this point in the season. Sophomore Bennett Glinder has been a rock for them at goalie with six shutouts this season already. I believe that their elite defense and solid goaltending can be a difference maker in close games as the season progresses
Michael De Jesus: Despite being third in the MAAC, the Rider Broncs are a team to watch as a contender for the tournament title. After starting the season 0-2, they have gone on an impressive run, with a six-match win streak most recently being followed by another three-match win streak. At home, they have proven to be a challenge for teams. Three out of their four remaining games are at home; with a strong home presence and an elite offense led by senior midfielder Bryan Akongo and junior midfielder Momo Diop, who have 16 and 14 points respectively this season, the Broncos could potentially surprise as a top team and claim the tournament title in November.
Sean Keag: Mount Saint Mary’s currently is in second place in the MAAC; they have been one of the teams that have stuck out to me so far this season. The defense of this team could take them a long way in this conference. Offensively, I think they will pick it up with help from sophomore midfielder Junee Lee out of South Korea. Another young talent, 6’4” freshman forward Abou Cherif, has tallied two goals this season. Only once this season has Mount St. Mary’s allowed more than two goals. If their squad can maintain a strong defensive presence, watch out for them come November.
Predict how Marist will finish down the stretch this season and whether or not they will make it into the MAAC tournament.
Luke Sassa: This afternoon’s match with Iona should serve as a bellwether game to see if Marist truly has what it takes to compete against the upper echelons of the MAAC conference. Marist’s defense has been the backbone of the club this season and has kept them in matches despite offensive inconsistency, and it will truly be tested against Iona’s well-balanced attack. Regardless of whether the Red Foxes win today, Marist will still be set up to gain late-season momentum in their next two home matches against MAAC-newcomer Merrimack and Niagara, two teams currently below them in the standings. If Marist can emerge from this three-match stretch having won two of three, they’ll have a 4-2 MAAC record and just need to split their final two matches to finish above .500 in the conference, which will likely be good enough for a tournament spot. That will be easier said than done with Marist facing strong teams in Rider and Siena, but given their improved play as of late, I like their chances of getting the job done.
Benjamin Rossi: I believe that the most difficult games remaining in conference play are against Iona and Siena; however the most important stretch is Merrimack, Niagra, and then Rider. Those are three games that I believe the Red Foxes are more than capable of winning and I believe that dropping one of those games will put them in a very difficult position. This team has shown that when they play at their best they can compete with anyone in the MAAC; however, it is about finding that consistency and focusing on one game at a time. I believe that the MAAC has a lot of parity and by the end of the season, Marist will be in contention for a lower seed in the MAAC tournament.
Michael De Jesus: Marist is currently right in the thick of it, as they are the sixth seed at the time of this writing. The Red Foxes will finish this final stretch by facing two cellar-dwellers in Merrimack and Niagara at home, presenting an opportunity to secure two crucial wins and close out strong. However, they will also compete against four of the top five teams in the MAAC, including Rider, Quinnipiac and Iona on the road. The team’s struggle to secure victories away from Tenney Stadium—recording two wins on the road—suggests that this challenging late-season stretch may hinder their chances for a MAAC tournament appearance this year.
Sean Keag: The MAAC tournament is easily within reach for the men’s soccer team. Marist currently holds a spot as the sixth seed in the tournament, with still a long way to go. The Red Foxes will host three more home games against conference opponents. They are home against a struggling Merrimack, last-place Niagara and close out the season with a major test against first-place Siena. The Red Foxes currently are on a two-game win streak in the conference and can hope to ride the momentum into Tenney Stadium for back-to-back home matches. My final prediction for the Red Foxes would be a fourth-place finish in the MAAC as long as they can stay healthy and take advantage of their opportunities in front of the net.
Edited by Luke Sassa
Graphic by Gavin Hard; Photos from Ricky Torres and Jaylen Rizzo
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