New Paltz, NY — With 12 wins overall last season — the most since 2004 — and a 7-2 conference record, including a 1-0 overtime victory against the then No. 5 nationally ranked SUNY Oneonta on the road, along with a second place finish in the SUNYAC  — highest finish in nearly four decades —and earning the home pitch advantage for the SUNYAC Tournament semifinals, the State University of New York at New Paltz ended last season with a tough 1-0 defeat in the semifinal round of the conference tournament. The Hawks know there is still work to be done.
 
SUNY New Paltz head coach Kyle Clancy, who enters his sixth season, believes he has the team to continue to challenge for a SUNYAC title and an NCAA Tournament invite that goes along with it. Despite the loss of several from last year's squad, including All-SUNYAC and record setting goalkeeper Marc DePasquale, Clancy returns the heart and soul of last year's squad and is eagerly looking toward earning a shot at the SUNYAC title.
 
 
"If you look at our team last year, we still have that strong core through the middle and on the back line and in the midfield, so I think we're a relentless team defensively winning the ball back right away," said senior captain and All-SUNYAC midfielder Ryan Hilliard. "It's definitely a key. We've got a great team, great back line and we're ready to work hard."
 
Returning for the Hawks are six players who each saw more than 1,110 minutes of playing time last season. All-Region III United Soccer Coaches and First-Team All-SUNYAC center back Tim Kane (Staten Island, NY) returns to lead a defense that allowed just 12 goals for a .70 goals-against-average all season. He will be joined with counterpart Owen McGarrity (Massapequa Park, NY) to form one of the best center back duos in the SUNYAC. Hillard and graduate student defender Spencer Ryczek return to captain the team with the Hawks also bringing back their top point getter in senior Philip Varner (Berlin, NJ). Varner was impressive last season, finishing with four goals and five assists, as he resumes his No. 10 role.  
Last year's SUNYAC Rookie of the Year returns for SUNY New Paltz in sophomore Joseph DiPreta (Clifton Park, NY) who also earned Second-Team All-SUNYAC honors last season and is primed to make the leap as a conference leader this fall. He finished his rookie campaign with two goals and five assists, with his highlight coming in the OT win over the Red Dragons with a laser free kick to walk off the game for the Hawks. This past summer, DiPreta starred for the United Soccer League, League Two Blackwatch Rush and was named Young Player of the Year.
 
Senior defenders Gabriel Cruz (Nesconset, NY) and Michael Horner (Slate Hill, NY) will see significant time, along with second-year Thomas O'Neill (Massapequa Park, NY) in the midfield. Juniors Bryan Boylan (Massapequa, NY), Papis Konate (Bronx, NY) and Benjamin Perez (East Setauket, NY) will help patrol the midfield and aid in the attack, while second year holding midfielder Tenmetey Tetteh-Nartey (Monroe, NY) will provide depth as well.
 
"I think after last season, underclassmen got to experience making a deeper run and pick up a lot of valuable lessons," Ryczek said. "Having the new guys come in, the freshmen have adjusted really well to the pace we play at, and they've already made an impact in improving us as well. We're really just learning from them and they're learning from us, and we all mesh really well. We're just continuing to build team chemistry, which has really helped us."
 
With the graduation of DePasquale, the goalkeeper position was up for competition over the preseason. SUNY New Paltz bring back incumbents Andrea Bentoglio (Bronx, NY) and Christian Micheli (Carle Place, NY), while adding freshman Yasha Tamarchenko (New Paltz, NY) who has impressed thus far.
 
Along with Tamarchenko, Clancy again recruited an outstanding first-year class. Midfielder David Acker (Oceanside, NY), back Zack Beach (Sayville, NY) and midfielder Luca Giammarino (Babylon, NY) all earned Newsday Top-100 recognition and starred for some of Long Island's top programs. The Hudson Valley is well represented by midfielder Alejandro Londono (Mamaroneck, NY) and Alex Wyant (Wappingers Falls, NY), both All-Section selections with each coming from competitive programs. From the Capital District comes forward Colin Brant (Loudonville, NY) who 20 goals in 2021 earned him a Section 2 and Times Union Player of the Year honors as well as All-New York State recognition, while Enrique Rendon (Forest Hills, NY) rounds out the first-year class. SUNY Maritime transfer Sean O'Neill (Highland Mills, NY) will provide a boost in the midfield, as the fifth-year earned consecutive Skyline Conference honors while captaining the Privateers.
 
"We have a great mix of older guys and newer guys. I think they've come into the team very well," Hilliard said. "We've got a lot of good veterans kind of helping them out, show them the ropes and they've learned quickly. The new guys are great, so it's exciting."
 
The Hawks held a scrimmage against RPI on South Turf Field over the preseason and played well, as they implemented their brand of high-press, possession soccer which overwhelmed the Engineers. They hope to continue to sustain that style of play through the season and become a team no one wants to play.
 
"It was good to have RPI visit us. They're a quality opponent, so it was a good test of the level we're at as a team," Ryczek said. "We've been working a lot on the defensive side of the ball and I thought we were very organized and I thought we gave them a lot of trouble in our scrimmage. We worked heavily on our press and I think it made them very uncomfortable and allowed us to kind of control the game and the tempo. A lot of the times when we did lose the ball, it's how quickly we can get the ball back and I think it made RPI very uncomfortable. We definitely looked good and I don't think we could've asked for a better first scrimmage."
 
"We definitely want to possess the ball a lot and be more on the ball than the other team, move it well, be deceptive and off the ball win it back right away," Hilliard added. "From last year too, be relentless, just pressing all around defensively. It'll definitely will be one of our strongest sides this year."

In the last three seasons, SUNY New Paltz has proven its prowess during the regular season hosting SUNYAC semifinal games in both 2018 and 2021, but have yet to get over the hump of sustaining a postseason victory since 2012 and are still looking for its first chance of playing in a SUNYAC final since their first win in 1965. With what they've already established the past few seasons, they understand the goal is nothing short of a conference championship.
 
"At this point in where the program has gotten to our goal is to win the SUNYAC every single year and continue onto the NCAA Tournament and make a run there," Ryczek said. "We know the work it takes to get there and we know that just because we were there last year doesn't mean that we're going to get there this year. We're continuing to take it day by day and keeping the level high is the goal of this team and ultimately, we're trying to win a SUNYAC this year. Anything short of that is a failed season for us."
 
SUNY New Paltz opens up their 2022 campaign on the road Thursday against the Dutchmen of Union College, before competing in the Drew University Fall Festival Saturday and Sunday against the hosting Rangers and FDU-Florham. Their first home contest will be Sept. 14 against Vassar and their SUNYAC quest begins Sept. 21 on the road at SUNY Plattsburgh.
 
"It's a big dream of mine and everyone in this program. Looking around, I think everyone thinks we can get it done this year," Hilliard said. "It's going to take twice as much work as we ever worked before, but I really think we can get it done this year and it's going to be an exciting year."
 
Hawks season opener Thursday is at 7 p.m. at College Park Field.

Preview Video Featuring Captains Ryan Hilliard and Spencer Ryczek


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