Men's Soccer 2024 Season Preview
FROSTBURG, Md. - Frostburg State Athletics will be taking a preview for each team competing in the fall season, covering eight total sports. Over the next week, each team will be broken down into their expectations, key players, and overall outlook for their season and program. To conclude season previews for the fall is Men's Soccer.
Overall
Frostburg State Men's Soccer is set to enter its 81st season this fall in 2024. Head Coach Keith Byrnes will embark on his 23rd season with the team, while he adds Thomas Wasley, Brian Cruz, and Scott Fernandez to his staff, all as assistant coaches.
Last Season
The Bobcats finished 6-11-1 in the 2023 season, with a 3-10-1 mark in conference play. Frostburg picked up MEC wins over Wheeling and Concord, while taking all their non-conference matches. In the accolade's column, forward Carlos Quintero Rivas and defender Caleb Dell both received All-MEC Honorable Mention, while Dell also achieved College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors in the classroom.
The Returners
Byrnes welcomes back 17 players from last years roster, having lost four seniors that were key pieces to the team for the last few years, including Joel Assal, Gage Adam, Bryce Costello, and Fernandez. Byrnes is happy to have Quintero Rivas back as a junior to lead the attack up front, as senior Mateo Cuadros and junior Kevin Garcia-Torres will provide some athleticism at forward, along with senior Abdur-Rahman Neama and sophomore Hugo Portillo. In the midfielder position, graduate Alex Flores, seniors Andre Tenorio and Firas Abdelgadir, and juniors Sebastian Vargas and Renzo Vargas look to provide for both sides of the field, as a strong front of defenders return for FSU with seniors Laki Psallidas, Alex Retzos, Randy Ferrin, and Dell, and sophomores Brian Gomez and Tom Leinhos all looking to pick up where they left off in 2023. Senior Brennan Moore is the lone goalkeeper returning for Frostburg, as senior midfielder Zach Harpel and junior forward Luke Gerhardt both look to return to the program, having not competed since the 2022 season.
The Newcomers
Byrnes plans to mix in multiple new faces with the team, welcoming in a freshman class of 12 along with three transfers. Christian Mathieu comes in the as the lone freshman forward, with freshmen Andrew Denard, Dominic Good, and Mason Salvadge looking to provide for the midfield. Jarrett Stogner, Max McGinnis, Cameron Outt, and Keo Rihouey join the team as freshman defenders, looking to play in front of freshman keepers Gavin O'Brien, Jacob Taylor, Brian Mejia Ramos, and Jan Foret, all who hope to provide some competition for the starting role. Junior transfers Gabe Jones, Tim Santoro, and Nick Varkarotas all come to FSU having experience at the collegiate level in the forward position.
Kick off to Season
Frostburg begins their season on the road against West Virginia Wesleyan for a 3 PM conference game on Sunday, September 8. The Bobcats then come back for their home opener in Bobcat Stadium on Wednesday, September 11 at 7 PM against District of Columbia.
For more information and updates, please visit frostburgsports.com.
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