11/24/2008
2008 Men's Soccer Season Recap

The 2008 Clark University mens soccer team certainly had a year to remember. The Cougars, who finished the year with an 11-5-2 (3-2-1 NEWMAC/3rd) record, not only posted their sixth consecutive winning season, but also earned their first NCAA Division III Tournament berth in 21 years.

Clarks road to the NCAAs was not easy. Facing a stack of regionally touted squads, the Cougars went unbeaten against five of the seven teams ranked in New England throughout the season. Highlights during that run included, a 1-1 tie against Worcester State College, a 2007 ECAC Tournament semifinalist, in front of a crowd of 500 fans at the Worcester City Soccer Classic at Granger Field and a scoreless draw against eventual NEWMAC Champion Babson College, not to mention 1-0 victories against Rhode Island College (OT) and Framingham State College, both winners of their respective conference championships, and regional power Wheaton College in Norton, Mass. It marked the first time in eight tries Clark beat Wheaton on their home field and just the second victory in 15 attempts overall.

Winners of five of its final regular season games, Clark earned the right to host the first-round of the NEWMAC Tournament for the fourth straight year. Despite a disappointing showing against Wheaton College (L 0-1) in the quarterfinals, the Cougars strength of schedule and three consecutive weeks in the final regionally rankings led them to their first NCAA Tournament bid since 1987.

Traveling to last years NCAA Tournament Champion Middlebury College, Clarks season would come to an end in a tough 1-0 loss to Norwich University in the first-round.

Following the season, head coach David Kulik earned the NEWMAC Coach of the Year award for the second time during his tenure. The ninth-year coach also nabbed the honor in 2005. Senior goalkeeper Peter Wise was named to the NEWMAC All-Conference first-team, while junior defender Preben Gietz and sophomore forward Baran Doenmez (8-4-20) were second-team selections.