Fact Sheet
In 2012, the Rowan University men’s soccer team will attempt to build off a successful 2011 season. Last year, the Profs went 9-6-4 overall and 4-2-2 in the conference. The Profs advanced to the semifinals of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Championship Tournament.
“Last year, we thought we had the opportunity to beat Rutgers-Camden in the semifinals of the conference tournament,” said head coach Dan Gilmore. “This season, we are more unified and experienced. The trip we took to Costa Rica this summer really helped the team bond. I expect us to compete for the conference championship and earn a NCAA bid. We want to get back to being a Division III power.”
Rowan returns its top four scorers from a year ago. Christian Fountain (so. Fredericksburg, VA/Stafford) and Julian Berrios (sr. Lakewood, NJ/Calvary Academy) are the starting forwards. Fountain led the Profs with 24 points on 10 goals and four assists. In the conference, he was seventh (1.26) in points per game, tied for seventh (0.53) in goals per game and tied for 13th in assists. Fountain received NJAC All-Conference honorable mention and was chosen the Rookie of the Week three times. Berrios followed with five goals and three assists for 13 points. In the NJAC, he tied for 17th in points and goals. Berrios was selected to the All-Conference second team. Devon Garner (so. Browns Mills, NJ/Pemberton Twp.) and Mike Pinter (so. Green Pond, NJ/Morris Knolls) will also see time at forward. Garner did not play last season. In 2010, he tallied three assists in 13 games. Last year, Pinter collected one goal and one assist in 10 appearances.
“Fountain has the ability to score,” stated Gilmore. “He has a knack for putting the ball away and has good speed. Berrios has the potential to be one of the best players in the league. He has good skills and is extremely quick. He is in great shape this season.”
The midfield is deep with veterans Andrew Brawner (sr. Mt. Laurel, NJ/Lenape), Ryan Gordon (sr. Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill W.), Brian Kahn (jr. Scotch Plains, NJ/Scotch Plains-Fanwood), Shane Kohler (so. Flemington, NJ/Hunterdon Central Reg.) and Parker Oris (so. Bayville, NJ/Central Reg.). Brawner compiled seven points with two goals and three assists. A captain, Gordon added two goals and two assists. He earned NJAC All-Conference honorable mention. In his first season, Kohler was third on the team with 12 points on five goals and two assists. In the NJAC, he tied for 17th in goals. He collected NJAC Rookie of the Week honors once. Oris followed with four goals and two assists for 10 points.
Rookies Travis Cortes (fr. Scotch Plains, NJ/Scotch Plains-Fanwood) and Connor Moffat (fr. Hamilton, NJ/Steinert) and transfer Dylan Smith (jr. Hamilton, NJ/Steinert) are all pushing for playing time. Cortes was named the Union County Player of the Year and to the All-State first team at Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School. Moffat and Smith both garnered All-State honors at Steinert High School. In 2010 at Mercer County College, Smith tallied 15 points with five goals and five assists.
“Brawner has good speed with the ability to break down defenders on the flanks,” commented Gilmore. “Gordon has the potential to be an All-American. He has very good skills and a high work rate. He has the ability to score and defend. He is a terrific leader on and off the field. Kohler possesses excellent vision. He is very good in the air for his size. Cortes, Moffat and Smith all read the game well and each of them has the potential to start. Smith is a great competitor. He is a good passer with a nice shot.”
Captains Shane Dooley (sr. Burlington Twp., NJ/Burlington Twp.) and Lou Buonocore (jr. Hazlet, NJ/Raritan), Jared Mangone (sr. Princeton Jct., NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro N.) and Nick Bolton (jr. Dover, DE/Dover) will anchor the backfield. Last season, Dooley played in all 19 games, posting four points with one goal and two assists. Buonocore scored one goal, while Mangone contributed with two goals and one assist in his first season at Rowan. As a midfielder, Bolton registered one goal and two assists.
“Dooley gets the most out of his talent,” praised Gilmore. “He reads the game well and is a good leader. Buonocore has a great work rate with a desire to succeed. Mangone is a tough, hard-nosed defender. He is good in the air and knows how to play the game. Bolton can play anywhere and has excellent vision.”
Competing for time at back are veterans Garrick Adamson (sr. Glassboro, NJ/Glassboro), Robby Davis (sr. North Wildwood, NJ/Cape May County Technical), Zach Floyd (sr. Springfield, NJ/Jonathan Dayton), Chris Grammatico (jr. Batavia, NY/Batavia), Jon Hampton (jr. Glassboro, NJ/Absegami) and Frank Renna (sr. Paramus, NJ/Paramus). Newcomers Griffin Fountain (fr. Fredericksburg, VA/Stafford), Dante Nocito (fr. Delran, NJ/Delran) and Dave Schwartz (so. Pt. Pleasant, NJ/Valley Forge Military Academy) are also in the mix. Davis recorded one goal and one assist, while Grammatico found the net one time. At Delran High School, Nocito was selected to the All-County, All-South Jersey and All-State teams.
“Nocito is currently injured but we have high hopes for him,” commented Gilmore. “He is a good defender. Schwartz sat out last year. He is a tough, aggressive back. Schwartz gets the ball forward well.”
Ryan Gill (jr. West Deptford, NJ/West Deptford) is the starter in goal for the second straight year. Last season, he compiled a 1.25 goals against average (GAA) and a 78.4 save percentage. Gill finished fourth in the conference in saves (4.06) and shutouts (6), sixth in save percentage and eighth in GAA. He was chosen to the NJAC All-Conference second team.
“Gill had a breakout year,” said Gilmore. “He has excellent hands and covers the box well. Gill understands how to work hard. The other goalkeepers are really pushing him to be better.”
Michael Fanz-Huster (sr. Waterford, NJ/Hammonton), Kevin Vasta (jr. Randolph, NJ/Randolph), Graeham Gotrell (fr. Hackensack, NJ/Hackensack) and Will Kemp (sr. Pittsgrove, NJ/A.P. Schalick) are all competing for the backup job. In eight games, Fanz-Huster produced a 1.47 GAA and a 66.7 save percentage. Vasta appeared in three contests, while Kemp played in one game. At Hackensack High School, Gotrell received All-Conference honors.
Rowan will once again face some tough nonconference opponents. The Profs open the season at the President’s Cup in Mahwah, NJ. The men’s soccer team plays Randolph-Macon College (7-7-2) on August 31 and Berry College (7-6-2) on September 1. Rowan travels to Haverford College (11-6-2) on October 2. The Profs fly to Santa Cruz, CA for back-to-back games against LaSierra University (11-5-1) and the University of California-Santa Cruz (9-8) on October 5 and 6 respectively.
In the NJAC Preseason Coaches Poll, defending champion Rutgers-Camden (19-3-2 overall, 6-0-2 NJAC) was picked first. The Scarlet Raptors received eight first place votes. They received the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament and advanced to the quarterfinals. Montclair State University (19-4-3 overall, 5-1-2 NJAC) was chosen second with two first place votes. The Red Hawks earned an at-large bid to the national tournament and reached the semifinals. William Paterson University (14-4-4 overall, 4-2-2 NJAC) and Richard Stockton College (12-7-4 overall, 3-3-2 NJAC) were third and fourth respectively. Rutgers-Newark (13-8-3 overall, 3-3-2 NJAC), fifth, was selected as the dark horse. Rowan was chosen to finish sixth, followed by Kean University (10-6-3 overall), seventh. Rounding out the poll were Ramapo College (7-8-2 overall, 1-6-1 NJAC), eighth, The College of New Jersey (5-8-4 overall, 0-6-2 NJAC), ninth and New Jersey City University (6-10-2 overall, 2-5-1 NJAC), 10th.
Rowan begins NJAC play at Montclair State on September 12. The Profs host Rutgers-Camden on September 19 and travel to Richard Stockton on September 26. William Paterson and Ramapo come to Rowan on September 29 and October 10 respectively. The Profs are on the road at Rutgers-Newark on October 13 and at New Jersey City on October 17. The men’s soccer team has a home contest against Kean University on October 19. Rowan is at The College of New Jersey for the regular season finale on October 24.
“We need to stay healthy this year,” remarked Gilmore. “We had a lot of injuries that hurt us last season. We also need be good defensively and finish opportunities when we get them.”
