After a positive campaign last year, the Stony Brook men’s soccer team will look to transition from an unexpected contender to a formidable powerhouse within the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA).
Following a lackluster debut season in their current conference in 2022, the Seawolves were not highly regarded by CAA coaches prior to last season. In the league’s 2023 men’s soccer preseason poll, Stony Brook was picked to finish at the bottom of the table despite revamping its roster in the offseason.
Instead of hanging their heads at the “disrespectful” placement, the Seawolves blew the last-place prediction out of the water. After going 5-11 overall and 3-6 in conference play in 2022, Stony Brook finished 6-6-5 overall and 4-1-3 against CAA opponents last year. It clinched the third seed in the 2023 CAA Championship, and as a result of the team’s turnaround, head coach Ryan Anatol was named 2023 CAA Coach of the Year.
However, the Seawolves’ playoff struggles continued last season, as they lost an eighth-consecutive postseason match — this time to Elon. Stony Brook’s last playoff win dates back to 2012, when it defeated Binghamton in an America East Conference showdown.
“The conference championship is always difficult,” Anatol said in an interview with The Statesman. “Doesn’t matter what league you’re in. It’s a one-off. You look at some of the results, they’re always very close. Sometimes penalty kicks.”
Even with a disappointing end to 2023 — as along with falling in the First Round of the CAA Championship, the Seawolves were winless in their last three regular-season games — Stony Brook was given more respect by opposing coaches in the 2024 CAA men’s soccer preseason poll. It was picked to finish sixth in the standings this year.
A likely key factor contributing to the Seawolves’ ascent in the polls is their reduced roster turnover. Following the 2022 season, Stony Brook experienced the exit of three of its four defensive starters, along with its starting defensive midfielder. This past offseason, the Seawolves faced the challenge of replacing their starting goalkeeper, right-back and two midfielders. Despite the numerical parity in departures, the impact on the team’s dynamics now could be minimal — with the exception of the goalkeeper position.
“One of the challenges of college soccer is that we have such a short preseason,” Anatol said. “We try to bring in good players but no matter who they are, it always takes time. To be able to have guys who are returning is always a plus. They have experience, they know what college soccer is like.”
The Seawolves’ attack, in particular, will reap the most benefits from the positives of returners. Four of their five forwards that played over 200 minutes last year are returning. Additionally, midfielders Moses Bakabulindi and Trevor Harrison — who often played as wingers in 2023 — are back.
Stony Brook’s offense is coming off an outstanding season. After having the joint-worst offense in the CAA in 2022, the Seawolves were second in the conference last year with 1.88 goals per game.
“Since there are so many returners in the attack, I expect the same,” forward Jonas Bičkus said. “Even better, you always want better. The freshmen that didn’t play last year, you can already see the improvements they made.”
Bičkus is the danger man up front for Stony Brook. He is the team’s top scorer for three seasons running and has tallied 18 goals and four assists during that time frame. Last year, he scored eight times and assisted once. A 2024 All-CAA Preseason Team honoree, Bičkus ranked fifth in the league in goals and seventh in shots (34) in 2023. He was selected to the 2023 All-CAA Second Team.
Alongside Bičkus, forwards Caleb Danquah and Olsen Aluc stand a strong chance of securing a place in the starting lineup. Both players employ speed and creativity with the ball at their feet. The pair played a pivotal role in the Seawolves’ offensive success last season.
Danquah came in as a transfer from St. Francis Brooklyn and posted one goal and two assists. Conversely, Aluc broke through last year. After putting up just one goal contribution in 10 matches in his first season with Stony Brook in 2022, he tallied six goals and four assists in 2023 despite battling through injury, the same setback he faced in his debut year with the Seawolves.
Aluc finished ninth in the CAA in goals and earned 2023 All-CAA Third Team honors. Furthermore, he was voted as The Statesman’s 2023-24 Men’s Breakout Player of the Year.
Outside of the aforementioned trio, Bakabulindi could receive starts if Anatol plays with a four-forward scheme; a strategy he rarely used last season but one that proved effective at times. Bakabulindi led the team and placed fifth in the conference with seven assists in 2023 along with a goal. Harrison also got his fair share of starts last year and posted five goals and three assists.
Anatol is also enthusiastic about the potential contributions of forwards Finlay Oliver and Aidan Kolbe. Despite limited playing time as freshmen last season, both players are poised to make a significant impact.
“[Oliver] got some minutes in the fall [and] he’s shown a lot of growth and development,” Anatol said. “I think he’s going to do very well this fall. [Kolbe] is another one that came in as a freshman and it took him time, but he’s been working very hard. He’s another big, strong, physical presence up top.”
Further down the field, the Seawolves’ midfield will have questions to answer. They will need to replace Amit Magoz and Jacson Coppack, a pair of reliable players who moved on in the offseason. While Magoz remains unsigned, Coppack now plays professionally at 1874 Northwich Football Club.
Magoz’s spot as a central midfielder will likely be filled by Alex Fléury, who impressed in his rookie year. The 2023 CAA All-Rookie Team selectee played and started in 16 games. He put up one goal and four assists.
“[Fléury] had a great fall,” Anatol said. “He was a new player for us, but he’s continued to develop. He played a lot out wide last year, he did play some games in the middle of the field. We played him a lot this spring as a central midfielder.”
Conversely, with Coppack vacating the defensive midfielder role, midfielder Kyle Smith could fill in. As another first-year player last season, Smith was given many opportunities. He appeared in nine matches and scored a goal while assisting another.
Concerning the final midfield spot, five players are vying for the position. While Bakabulindi and Harrison could potentially be repositioned to a central midfield role, historical patterns suggest this is unlikely. The remaining contenders for the midfield slot are Bruno Penney, Abayomi George and Lorenzo Selini.
Penney was anticipated to take on a more prominent role in 2023, but he ultimately appeared in only 10 games while making one start and scoring once. George — a new addition to Stony Brook’s roster — has an impressive track record from his time at Presentation College. Lastly, while Selini is expected to maintain his left-back position from last year, his natural position lies in the midfield.
“We had [George] come in and he’s done really well,” defender Sean Towey said. “We talk about those freshmen that want to pick themselves up, [Smith] has done really well. [Penney] came in, scored the highest on our fitness test. Being fit, playing in the midfield is huge. Some good competition there.”
Towey is another versatile option for the midfield and is capable of stepping in as needed. Over the past three seasons, he has transitioned from a winger to a right-back and ultimately to a centre-back, showcasing his adaptability. However, the latter seems to be his spot to begin the year.
Together with All-CAA Second Team member and 2024 All-CAA Preseason Team Honorable Mention midfielder Bas van Beckhoven, Towey formed a formidable centre-back pairing that anchored the Seawolves’ defense. In 2023, Stony Brook conceded 1.35 goals per game, the sixth-best mark in the league. This marked a notable improvement from the previous season when the team allowed 1.63 goals per game — the second-worst average in the CAA.
As previously noted, Selini is expected to occupy the left full-back position. In his inaugural season with Stony Brook — following his transfer from Hofstra — he contributed four assists and demonstrated his offensive prowess while also proving to be a physical presence defensively.
Selini, van Beckhoven and Towey each stand under six feet tall, a rarity among defensive players.
“[We’re] not the biggest people for those positions, but defense doesn’t only count on height,” Towey said. “It matters how much heart you have, how much you’re willing to defend. I think the coaches were really happy with how [Beckhoven and I] performed last year.”
The right-back position remains open for competition. In 2023, defender Jon Jelerčić and midfielder Justin Jean-Louis shared the role, with Jelerčić securing the majority of the playing time. However, he is now at Hofstra after transferring there in the offseason. Although Jean-Louis would naturally be the frontrunner for the spot, he will face competition from other contenders.
Defenders Jamari Busby — a transfer from Presbyterian — Nicholas Wilson, Tomas Björnsson and Maxx Peters could fill the role or serve as depth for the Seawolves’ backline.
Stony Brook’s most significant offseason departure was goalkeeper Edmond Kaiser. In his final collegiate year, Kaiser collected his first individual honor as an All-CAA Third Team selection. Additionally, Kaiser posted career highs in 2023 in saves (85), goals allowed per game (1.33) and save percentage (.810). He led the conference in saves, save percentage and saves per game (5.67).
“The goalkeeper position is going to be hard to replace,” Anatol said. “[Kaiser] had a fantastic senior season. He was a big piece of our success last year. He had been here for five years, so we knew that would be a challenge in having to replace [Kaiser]. When you look at college sports these days with the transfers, a guy like [Kaiser] is what it used to be about.”
Kaiser’s backup — goalkeeper Curtis Copenhaver — also graduated after the 2023 season. With the additional departures of goalkeepers Anthony Martinez and Carlos Zabarburu, Anatol found himself with no returning players at the position. The situation necessitated the recruitment of three new goalkeepers to fill the void: Rushon Sandy, Trevor Carr and Mason Bardales.
While Sandy — a transfer from Yavapai — has experience, Carr and Bardales are incoming freshmen. Due to visa issues, Sandy missed the first week of preseason, leaving the two rookies to battle for the spot between the posts early on.
“When people know there’s a position up for grabs, you’re always going to get the best out of [them],” Towey said. “When something is open, you’re going to see how much people want to play.”
While not entirely revamped, the Seawolves will unveil their new look on Thursday, Aug. 22, as they face the Long Island University Sharks in Brookville, N.Y.
