From one Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) defeat, to six. From four conference victories, to none for the first time in program history. From a +9 (32-23) goal difference, to a -12 (23-35) mark. From a .500 (6-6-5) overall winning percentage, to a .281 (3-10-3) figure.

Following the 2023 season, the Stony Brook men’s soccer team must have lost its entire core, which would explain the dramatic decline in its performance. 

However, four starters do not typically equate to an entire core. 

Goalkeeper Edmond Kaiser, defenders Jon Jelerčić and Jacson Coppack and midfielder Amit Magoz. Could that quarter truly have such a significant impact on the program? Possibly.

Kaiser’s departure was visibly felt. In his fifth and final year with the Seawolves in 2023, he delivered his strongest campaign yet. Kaiser earned individual league honors for the first time, as he was named to the 2023 All-CAA Third Team after leading the conference in save percentage (.810), saves per game (5.67) and total saves (85). 

Had it not been for his fifth-place ranking in goals conceded per match (1.33) and seventh-place ranking in shutouts per contest (.267) — largely a result of the inexperience in front of him, which we will get to — Kaiser would have likely secured a spot on the 2023 All-CAA First Team. From an individual standpoint, Stony Brook lost the definite best shot stopper in the league.

In the wake of his absence this season, the Seawolves turned to goalkeeper Rushon Sandy, who, prior to joining the team, had played for the National Junior College Athletics Association’s Yavapai College for two years. While it would be unjust to place the blame for Stony Brook’s decline solely on his shoulders, it is impossible to overlook the fact that Sandy’s performances fell far short of the standard set by Kaiser.

Sandy finished the CAA’s regular season ninth out of 10 qualified goalkeepers in save percentage (.648), fifth in saves per game (3.69), third in total saves (59), 10th in goals conceded per match (2.19) and sixth in shutouts per contest (.188).

The last-place designation is particularly striking, primarily due to the statistical association that underscores it.

Last year, the Seawolves ranked as the sixth-best defensive team in the conference out of 11, as they allowed just 1.35 goals per game. However, that figure soared to 2.06 this season, propelling Stony Brook to the distinction of being the league’s worst group on that end of the field.

A surprising development, to say the least — regardless of the swap between the posts — considering its centre-back pairing remained unchanged from the previous year: a tandem that featured defender Sean Towey and midfielder Bas van Beckhoven.

Last season, Towey and van Beckhoven would have had a valid excuse for underperforming. Following the departures of centre-backs Rondell Payne and Evan Peters after the 2022 campaign, Towey — formerly a full-back — and van Beckhoven — a midfielder by nature — were thrust into unfamiliar roles. With no clear expectation surrounding the Seawolves’ new backline anchors, the results could have faltered with no consequence.

However, the outcome was solid. Although Towey and van Beckhoven needed some time to get acclimated to their new roles — as Stony Brook conceded 11 goals in its first six matches of 2023 — they eventually found their rhythm. From that point on, the Seawolves allowed 12 goals in 11 games and van Beckhoven was even chosen to the 2023 All-CAA Second Team.

So, despite Kaiser no longer serving as the last line of defense behind them, the reasonable assumption going into the year was that the duo would continue to improve while building on a full season’s worth of experience. 

Yet, as Stony Brook’s defensive ranking within the conference shows, that was simply not the case. In the final collegiate campaigns for each, neither player performed at the expected level. When they were originally moved to centre-back, a key concern for Towey and van Beckhoven was their height at the position — as they stand at 5 feet 10 inches and 5 feet 8 inches, respectively. While the limitations of their frame were slightly evident last year, the issues were even more pronounced in 2024. The pair were frequently outmatched in one-on-one situations and struggled to win aerial duels.

Still, the shortcomings of the Seawolves’ backline can also be attributed elsewhere. Towey and van Beckhoven received limited defensive support from the team’s full-backs. 

In 2023, Jelerčić occupied right-back, but — similarly to Towey and van Beckhoven this season — his performance lagged behind the level he had set during his rookie campaign the year before. In 2022, Jelerčić was Stony Brook’s sole true freshman starter — as he secured the position as the season progressed — and was selected to the 2022 CAA All-Rookie Team.

Last year, Jelerčić remained the Seawolves’ starting right-back, but he saw his role diminished at times, as he came off the bench in certain matches and played limited minutes in others. This shift occurred as rookie midfielder Justin Jean-Louis earned more playing time.

With Jelerčić transferring across town to Hofstra during the offseason, Jean-Louis appeared to be the natural successor to the right-back position.

However, newcomer defender Jamari Busby — a transfer from Presbyterian College — beat out Jean-Louis for the spot to start the year. 

Busby and midfielder Lorenzo Selini, Stony Brook’s starting left-back from last season, who retained that role at the start of 2024, are attacking-minded full-backs. While they are certainly capable defensively, their instinct to push forward often left them in vulnerable positions in defensive scenarios — which added additional pressure on Towey and van Beckhoven when it came to protecting the Seawolves’ net.

Stony Brook’s most chaotic sector of the field this year was not its backline, though. Further up the field, the Seawolves’ midfield was in disarray, which concerns the departures of the all-reliable Coppack and Magoz.

In 2023, the pair were staples in the middle of the field for Stony Brook. Although the physically-imposing Coppack was initially tried as a centre-back, he was eventually shifted to a defensive midfield role, which he played for the majority of the season. Conversely, Magoz — a technically-gifted player — was one of Seawolves’ two central midfielders throughout the entire campaign. 

First-year midfielder Alex Fléury — who encompasses many of the same attributes as Magoz — completed the midfield triangle, and his tremendous rookie year earned him a spot on the 2023 CAA All-Rookie Team.

However, Fléury was left without his former counterparts entering this season, as Coppack transitioned to professional soccer with 1874 Northwich Football Club and Magoz also departed.

While Fléury was an obvious choice to anchor one of the midfield spots for the 2024 campaign, head coach Ryan Anatol was never able to find the right balance for the other open positions despite adding Gabriel Fernandes — one of the greatest midfielders in program history — to his staff in the offseason.

Fléury, Selini — originally a midfielder before being moved to left-back prior to last year — midfielders Trevor Harrison, Bruno Penney, Kyle Smith, Moses Bakabulindi, Ryota Kono and Abayomi George were all given opportunities to start.

However, none of the numerous combinations proved effective. Throughout the season, the midfield struggled to gel with both the defense and the offense, resulting in gaps for opposing players to exploit and diminishing the team’s counter-attacking threat — a key component of Stony Brook’s attacking style in 2023.

Speaking of their offense, the Seawolves drastically underperformed compared to their impressive showing the previous year. Last season, Stony Brook’s attack ranked second in the CAA, as it scored 1.88 goals per match. That figure decreased to 1.4 in 2024, which dropped the Seawolves to eighth in the conference in that department.

However, as you may have noticed, there were no forwards highlighted among the four notable exits following last year.

The reason for this is that the most significant actors of Stony Brook’s offensive success in 2023 returned this season.

Forwards Jonas Bičkus, Olsen Aluc and Caleb Danquah, along with Harrison and Bakabulindi — who frequently contribute to the attack — combined to score 65.6% (21 of 32) and assist 48.6% (17 of 35) of the Seawolves’ goals last year.

In 2024, they scored 65.2% (15 of 23) and assisted 26.1% (six of 23) of Stony Brook’s tallies.

So, while they were nearly as impactful as 2023, this season’s efforts were only relative to Stony Brook’s output, which was extremely lackluster.

Despite earning all-league honors for a third consecutive year with a 2024 All-CAA Second Team nod, Bičkus’ production was not at the same level as previous seasons. He matched his collegiate career-low with just four goals this year, the same total he recorded during his rookie season.

However, while Bičkus holds some blame for his lack of goals — as his .133 shooting percentage was the lowest of his collegiate career — he was also hampered by a decline in scoring opportunities, as the Seawolves’ supporting cast struggled to provide consistent service to the team’s striker.

The lack of creativity on offense can be traced to Stony Brook’s most dynamic offensive players: Aluc, Danquah and Bakabulindi.

After a 2023 All-CAA Third Team selection — largely due to his strong start last year — Aluc looked to build on what had been the best campaign of his collegiate career to that point.

However, the Seawolves’ slower pace of play this season — driven by the disconnect between the attack and midfield — took a toll on Aluc’s ability to impact the game, as he found himself having to create from scratch rather than using his speed to run at opposing defenders.

Out of the aforementioned trio of crafty Stony Brook players, Danquah was the only to post improved numbers this year compared to last season. Still — although he performed better than Aluc — Danquah managed just three goals and one assist in 16 matches.

In contrast, Bakabulindi’s stats took a significant downturn. After placing fifth in the CAA in assists last year with seven, Bakabulindi finished 2024 with none. Additionally, he scored just a single goal, as the Seawolves’ shift in identity this season had the most detrimental effect on his performance. Bakabulindi was frequently moved between midfield and attack, and never found a consistent role that suited his strengths. The team’s abundance of defensive-minded, quick-release players failed to align with his skill set.

Bakabulindi’s struggles this year serve as a microcosm of Stony Brook’s broader challenges. From a spectator’s perspective, it often seemed as though each player was operating in isolation, as there was a clear lack of cohesion between the units on the field. The glaring absence of chemistry was especially disappointing given that the Seawolves’ synergy had been a driving force behind their unexpected, yet thrilling success in 2023.

Despite the overall dismay, there were some bright moments: an improbable comeback to earn a draw in Stony Brook’s conference opener against Monmouth and a thrilling come-from-behind victory over Seton Hall, then ranked 11th in the nation. However, those were few and far between and, ultimately, they proved to be the exceptions rather than the rule.

The Seawolves did secure a commanding win over George Washington, but aside from that and the Seton Hall triumph, their only other victory came against a Division III opponent.

Conversely, Stony Brook endured its fair share of humiliations. The Seawolves conceded four or more goals on five occasions this season, including in a demoralizing 6-0 loss to a Campbell team that did not even make it to the CAA playoffs.

Anatol’s Future

When reflecting on Stony Brook’s longest-tenured head coaches, names such as baseball’s Matt Senk, softball’s Megan Bryant and women’s lacrosse’s Joe Spallina immediately come to mind.

Meanwhile, Anatol is often brushed to the side in those conversations, despite just completing his 14th year as the men’s soccer team’s head coach this season. 

Throughout his tenure, Anatol has become the program’s winningest head coach and guided the Seawolves to the 2011 America East (AE) Championship and, subsequently, an NCAA Tournament berth that year, as well as the 2018 AE regular-season title. 

In 2018, Anatol and his staff were named the AE Coaching Staff of the Year, and, in 2023, he earned the distinction of CAA Coach of the Year.

However, Anatol’s overall record as Stony Brook’s head coach stands at 89-111-34, which yields an underwhelming .453 winning percentage. Moreover, the Seawolves’ last playoff win was in 2012. Since then, they have endured six losing campaigns.  

“It’s been a long time since we’ve won a playoff game,” Director of Athletics Shawn Heilbron said in an interview with The Statesman. “That’s not something that anyone here is okay with. I think we [have] to figure out how to take that next step. It’s frustrating. We [have] to get there, and then we have to figure out how to win there. And we’re going to.”

With Anatol’s current contract — which began in the beginning of 2023 — set to expire at the end of 2025, he will have at least one more season as Stony Brook’s head coach, as the program has no plans to move on from its experienced leader this offseason.

“[Anatol] will definitely return next year,” Heilbron said. “He’s coming off a season in which he was the CAA Coach of the Year, he’s won a lot of games here, he does things the right way. Our student-athletes are great ambassadors. We need to figure out, though, what went wrong this year and how we turn it around. Because we do expect to compete for a championship.”

Before what could be his last go-around with the Seawolves in 2025, Anatol will have the task of replacing significant roster turnover. 

As noted earlier, Towey and van Beckhoven have exhausted their eligibility, while Selini, Harrison, Bakabulindi, Bičkus and Aluc are also done.

“I’m very confident that [Anatol] can build a winner immediately,” Heilbron said. “There’s no question, I mean, that’s the expectation. It’s not just wishful thinking, I know that we can do it. In the transfer portal era, with guys we have on our roster who are developing, who are coming back. I know that we can compete next year. I’m confident in our coaching staff, I’m confident in our team that we will be able to do that. No question.”