WEST HAVEN, Conn. - Heading into the 2011 season, the New Haven men’s soccer program looks to rely heavily on their veteran leadership. The Chargers return 17 student-athletes from last year’s squad that reached the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament with a 6-7 league record and 7-10-1 overall mark. With just six newcomers and three freshmen, the Chargers have plenty of experience to make some noise in conference play this fall. Of the team’s 23-player roster, 17 are upperclassmen including eight returning seniors.

Fifth-year head coach Joshua Krusewski hopes his squad can use last year’s playoff appearance as motivation to return to postseason play in 2011. The ’10 postseason appearance was the Chargers first since 2006 and first since moving into NE10 conference. The team has a tremendous amount of depth and according to Krusewski, there are many interchangeable parts to this year’s squad and several players can contribute in more than one position.

Goalkeepers
Seniors Jonathan Creem and J.J. Comeau will once again compete for the top spot between the posts. The battle for the starting keeper position has been an ongoing competition for the previous three seasons, which has seen both Creem and Comeau see significant playing time. Last year, Creem made 12 starts with a .782 save percentage and 1.46 goals against average while Comeau started six games with a 4-2 record, .865 save percentage and 0.77 GAA. Junior Anastasios Petridis will join the two at the position.

Defense
There will be plenty of experience on the Chargers backline this fall. Senior Anthony Romano, junior Joel Rodriguez and freshman Tim Hines will receive the majority of playing time while junior Javier Nunez and junior newcomer Junnior Torres will compete for the fourth spot on the back left. Romano started five games last season and will likely make the transition from forward to the backline this fall. Rodriguez has started 33 games since joining the Chargers as a freshman. His experience will contribute to the guidance of freshman Hines who will play alongside him on the right center of the backline. Torres joins the team as a junior from Middlesex Community College, while Nunez appeared in 13 games last year and totaled 312 minutes. Senior Josh Allen and junior Daniel Dragicevich look to contribute in the backline as well, while senior Dave Ljungquist and sophomore Edwin Carvajal may also see significant minutes on defense.

Midfield
The Chargers’ midfield will act as the core of this year’s squad with five upperclassmen projected to see significant playing time. The five-player centerfield will be led by junior Joseph D’Antonio who will play many positions this fall, including an attacking midfielder. D’Antonio started all 18 games a year ago and led the team in shots (30), shots on goal (13) and game winning goals (2). He was also tied for the lead in points (10) and assists (2) as a sophomore and may see time in the center, the right side or even at forward this season. Seniors Jean Carlos Rafeal and Steven Gennuso will accommodate the front left side of the field. The both appeared in 17 games and together made 17 starts. As a junior, Rafeal was tied for second on the team with four total points and tied for third with two goals, while Gennuso totaled 778 minutes on the pitch. Expected to start in the defensive midfield is junior Austin Coleman who started 17 games a year ago as a sophomore. Coleman will make the adjustment from the backline to midfield this season and is expected to make strong contributions. Playing alongside him will be the junior transfer, Firmiano Ribeiro. The Chargers will have plenty of depth in this group with graduate student Clancy Purcell and freshmen Eric Robertson and Jacob Appelbaum also seeing significant minutes. Ljungquist and Carvajal may also be asked to play in the midfield and sophomore Gui Dos Santos could possibly see time at the position as well.

Forward
Dos Santos will be asked to lead the Chargers’ offensive attack in 2011 after a stellar freshman campaign. The sophomore forward made seven starts and led the team in goals and points a year ago. Dos Santos appeared in all 18 games and looks to improve upon an impressive career thus far. D’Antonio may also be asked to play forward at times throughout the season.

The Schedule
UNH opens the season on Sunday, September 4 with its home opener against non-conference foe, N.Y.I.T. at 2:30 p.m. The Chargers first three games of the season will be played against non-conference opponents as they return to action on Wednesday, September 7 for their first away contest against #4 nationally ranked Dowling College. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. The following game features a home game at 1:00 p.m. as New Haven will play host to Saint Thomas Aquinas College.

Other highlights of the season include matchups against the top teams in the Northeast-10; #6 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce, #16 nationally ranked Southern New Hampshire, #12 nationally ranked Southern Connecticut, Bentley and Le Moyne. On Wednesday, September 21 the Chargers host cross-town rival Southern Connecticut for a 4:00 p.m. contest at Kayo Field. The following week, New Haven will host the Falcons of Bentley College. Game time is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. The Chargers will play a non-conference game against Molloy before returning to NE-10 play on Saturday, October 8 against Franklin Pierce. New Haven will honor their senior class members before their final home game versus Southern New Hampshire on Sunday, October 23. Kickoff is set for 2:00 p.m. The team will then conclude the regular season with back-to-back away games beginning with Le Moyne on Tuesday, October 25 and ending with Saint Anselm on Friday, October 28.