PITMAN—After earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament en route to finishing 17-3-1 overall in 2016, Rowan University has been selected as the 2017 men’s soccer preseason favorite in the New Jersey Athletic Conference. The Profs will be seeking their 14th NJAC title overall, but their first since 2003.
Rowan received 7-of-the-10 first-pace votes cast by the league’s head coaches. The 2016 Profs were both the NJAC regular season and NJAC Tournament runners-up, finishing league play with a 7-1-1 conference record. The 2016 Profs proceeded to secure an NCAA Tournament first round victory over Lehman before falling to eventual NCAA Division III national champion Tufts in the NCAA second round. Fourth-year head coach Scott Baker has guided his alma mater to an overall record of 43-18-1, while his career collegiate men’s soccer coaching record stands at 49-29-1. Rowan returns six all-conference players from its 2016 NCAA Tournament squad, including junior forward Shane Doherty, senior forward Travis Ward, senior midfielder Jake Conners, senior midfielder Tyler Logar, junior goalkeeper Kyle Dennis, and the 2016 NJAC Defensive Player of the Year in junior back Will Sjaastad.
Rutgers University-Newark which advanced to the fourth round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament after earning an at-large selection, was selected to place second and received two first-place votes. The 2016 Scarlet Raiders won the NJAC regular season championship with a league-best 8-1-0 mark in conference play en route to finishing 21-4-0 overall. Rutgers-Newark registered NCAA Tournament wins over New England College, Elizabethtown, and SUNY Oneonta, before falling in the fourth round to Brandeis. Led by the 2016 NJAC Coach of the Year in Kevin East, the Scarlet Raiders have produced an overall record of 141-73-14 during his tenure in Newark, while East’s career collegiate coaching record stands at 259-139-25. Rutgers-Newark returns six all-conference players from its 2016 NJAC regular season championship squad, including senior back Arek Szoldrowski, junior midfielder Breno Lustosa, sophomore goalkeeper Andres Medina, senior midfielder Carlos Castro, senior back Isaiah Kuris, and the 2016 NJAC Rookie of the Year in sophomore forward Fabio De Sousa.
Montclair State University, which captured the 2016 NJAC Championship for its sixth conference title in the last 11 years, was selected to place third and received one first-place vote. The 2016 Red Hawks claimed the NJAC Tournament crown as the fifth-seed after producing road victories over Rutgers-Camden, Rutgers-Newark and Rowan in a six-day span. Led by seventh-year head coach Todd Tumelty, MSU has posted an overall mark of 107-25-9, including a record of 16-6-1 in 2016. The Red Hawks return a pair of all-conference players from their 2016 NJAC championship team in junior midfielder Rafael Terci and senior back Mike Taranto.
Rutgers University-Camden, which advanced to the second round of the 2016 ECAC Tournament en route to a 9-9-4 overall record, was selected to finish fourth. One year after claiming the NJAC crown in 2015, the Scarlet Raptors placed fourth in the 2016 NJAC regular season with a 4-4-1 mark in league play. Now in his 12th-year at the helm of the Rutgers-Camden program, Tim Oswald has guided the Scarlet Raptors to an overall mark of 161-64-29 during his tenure. Rutgers-Camden returns four all-conference performers from its 2016 ECAC Tournament squad, including senior forward Aaron Muse, senior midfielder Brad Maine, senior midfielder Darnell Brown, and the 2016 NJAC Goalkeeper in the Year in junior net minder James Brett.
Stockton University, which rallied for a third-place NJAC finish in 2016 with a 4-3-2 mark in league play, was selected to finish fifth. Third-year head coach Greg Ruttler has guided the Ospreys to a 21-14-5 overall record during his first two seasons, including a mark of 7-8-4 in 2016.
The coaches’ dark horse selection, The College of New Jersey was selected to finish sixth. Led by 23rd-year head coach George Nazario, TCNJ has produced an overall mark of 218-157-45 during his tenure in Ewing, including a record of 9-9-2 in 2016. The Lions return one all-conference player from the 2016 season in junior goalkeeper Dan Walsh.
Kean University, which will be led by new head coach Peter-John Falloon, was selected to place seventh. Falloon, who enters the season with a career collegiate coaching record of 78-75-14, returns to his alma mater and inherits a squad which earned an at-large bid to the 2016 NCAA Tournament en route to a 14-6-1 record overall. Kean returns one all-conference player from its 2016 NCAA Tournament squad in junior back Nicholas Sica.
Ramapo College, which earned a selection to the 2016 ECAC Tournament en route to a 10-5-3 record overall, was selected to finish eighth. Head coach DJ Pinton has guided the Roadrunners to an overall mark of 124-89-27 during his 13 seasons in Mahwah. Ramapo returns a pair of all-conference players from its 2016 ECAC Tournament squad in junior midfielder Trevor Albrecht and sophomore back Justin Charkowski.
William Paterson University, which advanced to the semifinals of the 2016 ECAC Tournament en route to a 9-9-3 overall record, was selected to place ninth. Led by the longest-tenured NJAC men’s soccer coach in Brian Woods, the Pioneers have posted an overall mark of 205-216-46 during his 25 seasons in Wayne. WPU returns four all-conference performers from its 2016 ECAC Tournament squad, including sophomore forward Keysean Brant-Sharp, sophomore midfielder Darwin Cruz, senior midfielder JP Gonzales, and junior back Zach Perez.
New Jersey City University, under the leadership of second-year head coach Joe Cullen, was selected to finish 10th. Cullen led the Gothic Knights to an 8-10-1 overall record during his rookie season of 2016.
The 59th season of NJAC men’s soccer will kick off on Friday, September 1 with all 10 league teams in non-conference action. Conference play will begin just 15 days later on Saturday, September 16 with the first five league matches of the season.
The top six regular season finishers will advance to the NJAC Championship Tournament which will begin with first round action on Saturday, October 28. The NJAC Tournament semifinals will be conducted on Wednesday, November 1, and the 2017 NJAC Championship Match will be played at the site of the highest remaining seed on Saturday, November 4. The winner of the NJAC Tournament receives the conference’s automatic qualification to the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament.
2017 NJAC Men's Soccer
Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Rowan (7)
2. Rutgers-Newark (2)
3. Montclair State (1)
4. Rutgers-Camden
5. Stockton
6. The College of New Jersey (dark horse)
7. Kean
8. Ramapo
9. William Paterson
10. New Jersey City
(first place votes in parenthesis)