It has been nearly six decades since the SUNY New Paltz men's soccer team stood atop of the SUNYAC table — the championship year of 1965 with a perfect 6-0 conference record and a trip to the NCAA College Division Regional tournament.

That legacy has loomed large for every Hawks men's soccer team since then. And, for the past two seasons, SUNY New Paltz has entered the tournament but came up short in its opening postseason game, including the quarterfinal round last season. However, the 2023 squad, as others have, are looking to bring the SUNYAC title back to New Paltz and the focus remains on the details in practice and the single game that looms directly ahead.

"I would say the most important thing throughout the season is just staying focused throughout practices and working hard, keeping our fitness throughout the year and then when we do get into playoffs just taking what we learned throughout the season and putting it into the games," said Hawks fifth-year senior and co-captain Philip Varner. "The past two years we've started off those playoff games pretty poorly and it affected us being able to come back and stuff, so I would just say just staying locked in and focused throughout practice all year."
 

At the helm for his eighth season is coach Kyle Clancy who has led the program to playoff berths four times during his tenure including consecutive appearances in 2021 and 2023, which marked the first time in more than three decades. A three peat would be a record setter, but more importantly begin the journey to SUNYAC supremacy.

"It's a long season and it's important to not look too far ahead," said SUNY New Paltz junior midfielder and co-captain Joseph DiPreta. "We have to treat every game as the most important game. Wins matter with our strength of schedule and our record against ranked opponents. That's the stuff that is going to help us get bids to the national tournament, which we all know is our end goal. We want to win the SUNYAC. We want to get an appearance in the tournament and I think there's definitely an understanding that each game has to be treated as the most important. It's a long road ahead and we have a lot of work to do."  
Under Clancy, the Hawks have gained respectability within the conference and region, but that will only take one so far. It's the progress made on the pitch that will determine where the Hawks are come November.

Finishing with a 9-5-2 overall record and a 6-2-1 SUNYAC mark, the 2022 Hawks played stellar defense but fell short putting the ball in the net, with four of their five losses by a single goal. However, the team brought in key pieces to help stir up more offense including the return of senior forward Brandon Davenport (Kingston, NY/John A. Coleman HS) and the addition of Monroe College transfer Yare Harris (Kingston, NY), along with sophomore Colin Brant (Latham, NY/Shaker HS) who scored one goal after appearing in all 17 games last season.

"One of the things that I think is really going to help us this year is our depth," DiPreta said. "As you can see, we already have first years stepping into starting roles. They're going to play big minutes for us this year. We brought in a lot of quality guys and you know, you look at the likes of Sam [Snider] and Yare they fit into the system that we're trying to play perfectly and they've already showed their quality since day one, and then to have quality guys coming in whenever they need a rest I think our depth is going to be super beneficial for us this year and what we want to do."

SUNY New Paltz return 19 players from 2022, including nine sophomores who gained valuable field time acclimating to the college game.

Senior co-captain Tim Kane, an All-SUNYAC Third Team pick last season with six goals and two assists, with one game winner, returns to his natural spot at center back where he was an All-Region selection in 2021.

The Hawks' defense was a key part of 2022's run to the SUNYAC tournament, giving up just 19 goals in 17 games, a 1.12 goals-against-average while limiting opponents to just 0.537 shots on goal.

Leading the defense alongside Kane will be All-Region defender, senior Owen McGarrity (Massapequa, NY/Massapequa HS), who also earned Second Team All-SUNYAC pick last year. Graduate student Gabriel Cruz (Nesconset, NY/Sachem North HS) scored four goals out of the defense a year ago, along with Luca Giammarino (Babylon, NY/Babylon HS) who netted one goal last season. Freshman Samuel Snider (Oceanside, NY/Oceanside HS) will start at left back in his first stint with the Hawks. He was an MLS Next League player and captained BW Gottschee FC to the MLS Next playoffs in 2023.
Between the posts expect to see again junior Christian Micheli (Carle Place, NY/St. Anthony's HS). After earning the starting spot last season, Micheli earned All SUNYAC Third Team honors, playing 1,530 minutes with a 1.12 goals-against-average, recording six shutouts, earning him a spot in the program record books in both categories. Sophomore Yasha Tamarchenko (New Paltz, NY/New Paltz Central HS) returns in support at goal.

SUNY New Paltz boasts a veteran midfield group led by two former All-SUNYAC Second Team picks Varner and DiPreta with the latter coming off a strong summer starring for the USL L2 Hudson Valley Hammers. The Clifton Park, NY native is coming off a sophomore campaign where he totaled six goals and three assists with two game winners and will be looked upon to lead the team even more so entering his third year.

"I feel like I have a responsibility to instill confidence in a lot of the guys, coming in with a large amount of confidence myself with the summer I had," DiPreta said. "I feel like I'm a positive energy in the squad and I feel like I can sort of bleed through to the rest of the guys. One of the things we've talked about this preseason is how confidence is going to lead to our success this year, and so I think if I'm able to encourage players, build them up and give them a bit of the confidence that I have than I think it's going to lead to success for us as a whole."

Varner's return, meanwhile, will prove crucial in aiding SUNY New Paltz's postseason run. As a senior last season, the Berlin, NJ native recorded five goals and three game winners en route to his first all-conference selection.

Joining them in the midfield are three seniors, Papis Konate (Bronx, NY/Frederick Douglass Academy), Brian Boylan (Massapequa, NY/Massapequa HS) and Benjamin Perez (East Setauket, NY/Ward Melvile HS) and two juniors, Tenmetey Tetteh-Nartey (Monroe, NY/ Monroe-Woodbury HS) and Thomas O'Neill (Massapequa Park, NY/Massapequa HS). Konate had one goals in 2022 and it was a game winner. Four sophomores fill out the returning midfield core: Alexander Wyant (Beacon,
NY/Beacon HS), David Acker (Oceanside, NY/ Oceanside HS), Alejandro Londono (Mamaroneck, NY/Mamaroneck HS) and Enrique Rendon (Forest Hills, NY/Forest Hills HS).
Additionally, Clancy brought in 10 newcomers who look to have an impact for the Hawks. At the forward spot, Harris has collegiate and club experience, while first year Asher Block (Plainview, NY/Plainview-Old Bethpage-JFK HS) has impressive credentials, including All NYS and Nassau County/Player of the Year honors.
Three first year players look to see time at midfield. Logan Yamamoto (Monroe, NY/Monroe-Woodbury HS) can switch to defense if needed. Kieran Weber (Levittown, NY/General Douglas MacArthur HS) was named Nassau County Class A Midfielder of the Year, while Dom Camuti (Franklin Square, NY/H. Frank Carey HS) provided steady play for the Seahawks.

Hoping to break into an already superb Hawk defensive rotation will be sophomore transfer Ryan Bochenski (Eastchester, NY/Eastchester HS/SUNY Cortland) who earned All NYS honors as a senior. Knowing how to win is ink the fiber of first year Dylan Thomasson (Bohemia, NY /Connetquot HS) who led his team to the Thunderbirds to the Suffolk Country, Long Island Class AA Championship and to the NYSPHSAA Class AA semifinals. Steve Trombetta (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee HS) led a stingy defense that let in just 13 goals in 21 games with 10 shutouts on their way to the NJSIAA State Group 4 championship. Looking to be the Hawks goalie of the future is Joe Washington (West Islip, NY/West Islip HS) listed among the top 10 goalies in Suffolk County and a member of the Suffolk Exceptional Senior All Star team that played against the best of Nassau County's senior all stars.

"I think the new guys have been really good additions, definitely think a lot of them will make a big impact and I definitely think we make it over the hump this year," Varner said. They and the rest of the Hawks will get to test their prowess Friday, opening the season at the Drew University Tournament. Four additional non-conference games follow, beginning with the home opener against defending CUNYAC champion Lehman College. The nine game SUNYAC season and the run to a spot in the SUNYAC postseason tournament begins on the road Sept. 20 against defending SUNYAC champion and nationally ranked SUNY Oneonta and concludes at home Oct. 21 against SUNY Fredonia.
 
The SUNYAC tournament first round is held Oct. 28, with the semifinals on Nov. 1 and the finals Nov. 4.

"I think for a lot of the returners, it's a chance at some revenge," DiPreta said. "It's a chance at getting what we feel is ours and what we deserve. We've experienced it twice now. We know that it sucks. We don't want to experience that again and so, while we have a lot of underclassmen and I lot of new guys, the upperclassmen and the returners know that that feeling sucks and we're not ready to let that happen again."

Hawks Season Preview Featuring Joseph DiPreta & Philip Varner


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