MIDDLETOWN, Pa. – The Penn State Harrisburg men's soccer team has been on the rise for the past few years. This 2012 season, the men hope to continue that climb to not only a third-straight conference title game appearance but a conference championship of their own. Not to mention trying to become the first team in program history to earn an NCAA tournament appearance.
Leading the charge this fall is newly appointed Head Coach Seamus Donnelly. Donnelly brings a whole new attitude to the winning program that former skipper Lester Felician helped build up since joining the NCAA's Division III ranks in 2010.
"We are looking for contributions from all the returning players and some players new to the team," said Donnelly. "I have told the boys that someone will break out and score a lot of goals but just as important will be the defensive plays and tireless work that must go on all over the park in order for us to have a chance at being successful."
Donnelly's team philosophy will need to be carried out in order to replace four conference all-stars that graduated from last year's squad.
One of the key players returning this season will be junior Justin Henderson (Cherry Hill N.J. / Cherry Hill HS East), who hopes to continue his goal scoring role up top. Joining him will be senior Alex Belanger (Carlisle, Pa. / Big Spring), who will have to adjust to playing forward this season after being a defensive force all of last year while junior Nana Nyantekyi (Howell, N.J. / Freehold Township) is also going to see time at the forward position. Seniors Dillon Sobilo (Eureka, Ca. / Arcata), Kevin McCoy (Bangor, Pa. / Bangor) and Josh Bitner (Conestoga, Pa. / Penn Manor), along with junior Tommy Miller (Palmyra, Pa. / Palmyra) and sophomore Matthew Hyson (Bel Air, Md. / Calvert Hall) will be called upon to lead the squad and bring some much-needed game experience to this team of fresh faces.
One of the new players that should have an immediate impact include Nana Owusu (Accra, Ghana/ Tema International Studies), who joins the Lions from his native country of Ghana. Freshman goalie Deven Gerhart (Newmanstown, Pa. / Eastern Lebanon County), who stands 6-4, will look to earn some playing time when spelling the blue and white's senior keeper in Charlie Hyson (Bel Air, Md. / Calvert Hall).
This year's team has been working extremely hard in both the offseason and this preseason. This should show in the team's overall fitness level on the field.
"The strength of the team is that we have a very fit and strong squad," said Donnelly. "We will look to play a high tempo style, then will put a lot of pressure on our opponents and hopefully create lots of scoring opportunities. I can already tell that this is a group blessed with leaders who desperately want to have a great season and the younger players are already starting to understand how important every game will be this season."
This year's schedule will once again test the blue and white and the team's bid for a North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) crown. The Lions kick things off with a tough road contest against Lebanon Valley College on Friday Aug. 31. They follow it up with a match the very next day against a strong Susquehanna University team. Playing a strong non-conference schedule should definitely help the men when they get to NEAC games later in the month.
Most of the familiar suspects from the conference are there once again. Keuka will be tough as will the team every Penn State Harrisburg men's soccer player has at least had one nightmare about this past year in SUNYIT. The Wildcats took home the championship the past two years, defeating the Lions both times. This year the men hope to return the favor by taking down the two-time defending champs and anyone else that stands in their way en route to claiming a NEAC title of their own.