Men's Soccer


2006 Season Recap

The most successful athletic team this fall, the Clark University men’s soccer team certainly had a year to remember. Posting its fourth consecutive winning season (11-4-2, 3-2-1 NEWMAC), the 2006 Cougars also witnessed regional and national acclaim. Not only was the Clark squad ranked 20th by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), but was also positioned eighth by D3kicks.com computerized national ranking system. It was the first time in head coach David Kulik’s seven-year tenure the team had been nationally recognized by two rankings organizations. Although Clark finished 10th in the NSCAA New England Poll for the second straight year, the Cougars saw its highest regional ranking (3rd) since Coach Kulik’s arrival in 2000. Not to mention, the program has also been in the top-10 regional ranking for 16 consecutive weeks over the last two seasons.

In addition to its record-ranking year, the men’s squad allowed just seven goals (.39 GAA) and posted 11 shutouts, ranking fifth and tied for eighth in the nation, respectively, and finished eighth nationally in save percentage (.894). The Cougars notched six straight shutouts to start the season, one shy from tying the school mark (7), had a nine-game unbeaten streak, including their first victory over rival Babson College (2-1) since 2001, and advanced to the NEWMAC Tournament quarterfinals as the third-seed. In the tourney, Clark fell to sixth-seed Springfield College (1-0) to conclude its season.

Senior midfielder Lino Goncalves and senior goalkeeper Matt Talbot were named to the NEWMAC All-Conference teams. A first-team all-star, Goncalves finished third on the team in scoring (2-2-6). Talbot, a second-team recipient, helped lead the Cougars to the number one scoring defense in the conference this season. Talbot topped the league in goals against average (.40) and save percentage (.894), and ranked second in winning percentage (.706). The two-time NEWMAC All-Conference goalie capped his career with a career-high 10 shutouts. Junior forward David Blum moved into second on Clark’s All-Time scoring list with 39 goals, 10 assists, and 88 points, while senior Daniel Hoffman took sole possession of 10th with 20 points, nine assists, and 49 points.

2006 Season Outlook

Returning to Granger Field after an impressive season that saw its first ECAC title appearance since 1984-85 and a tenth place finish in the final NSCAA New England poll, the Clark University men’s soccer team will look to repeat last year’s success or better yet, kick it up a notch.

The 2006 Cougars will have a tough act to follow. Last year’s team (15-4-2/4-1-1 NEWMAC) not only posted their best regular-season finish in the conference, but also capped its remarkable fall with the second most overall wins (15) in the program’s 85-year history.

“One of the main reasons we were successful last year, was because five of the players who graduated, played for four consecutive years,” said Kulik, who was named the NEWMAC Coach of the Year. “There’s little you can do to replace that type of experience.”

Although the Cougars lost 10 seniors, including five senior starters to graduation, Coach Kulik is confident that the returning 12 letter-winners, not to mention a strong recruiting class, can once again fly up the standings in the highly-competitive conference.

“We’ve returned two main components from last year’s squad – a goalkeeper and goal scorer,” said the Cougars’ seventh-year coach. “We’ve also added a freshman class that, in terms of initial quality, will be similar to the class we graduated…minus the experience.”

There is no concern between the pipes, however, where the Cougars welcome back first-team all-conference goalkeeper Matt Talbot. Talbot (0.78 GAA, .833 SV%) returns for his fourth season as the team’s top goalie, while Brian Hersey, a second-year net-minder, will back him up.

While two-year captain Matt Mattice and David Schwartz will be missed on defense, veteran Joseph Silva returns to anchor the youthful backfield. Newcomer Devin Weafer (Carmel, N.Y.), a three-time Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year at Carmel High, and first-year player Preben Gietz (Waterloo, Belgium), an international club soccer standout, are expected to step in and make an immediate impact. One of Kulik’s biggest challenges is filling the remaining back position. Senior Lino Goncalves (4-7-15), who earned NEWMAC second-team honors at midfield last season, could find himself at a different position, or red-shirt freshman Mike Trobagis, a 2004 Eastern and Metro-West Massachusetts all-star, could be inserted into the vacant spot.

Adjustments are also in order at midfield where the Cougars must replace four-year starter Dana Gilpatrick and Sattha Prasitwarakul. Returning senior Daniel Hoffman (7-7-21) is projected to lead the midfield unit that includes, Shawn Barr and talented first-year players John Machado (Bristol, Conn.), a two-time all-state player from Hotchkiss School, and Stillman Shaw an athletic force out of Anson, Me. Jenner Alpern, who is coming off an ACL injury, will provide valuable minutes off the bench.

With the loss of Juan Becerra, two-time All-NEWMAC star David Blum, will head the Cougar offensive attack. Coming off a record-breaking year, Blum was named to the NSCAA All-America second team and the NSCAA All-New England first team and shattered the school mark for goals (23) and points (50) in a season. Up for grabs is the other striker spot, where Coach Kulik is busy exploring the right combination. The versatility of Goncalves and Trobagis may come into play.

The 11-player recruiting class arriving this fall will have a chance to battle incumbents for gaps in the line-up. “There will be a couple of wild cards from this group,” said Kulik. “Who those players are, remain to be seen.” There is no doubt Clark will have to work hard for its victories this season. Facing a tough slate of non-conference opponents, including a pair of additions – Norwich University and Rhode Island College – not to mention a grueling NEWMAC line-up, the Cougars will have to score early and often to stay in the race. “The ability to start well in the conference is critical,” Kulik said. “If we want to have a chance at playing at the end for a conference championship, we need to win early. There’s not enough time to catch up.”