Nov. 19, 2002
Heading into the 2002 season, the Stony Brook men's soccer team had high expectations for a young but talented squad.
With 17 newcomers, the Seawolves hoped to grow into a team that would gel as the season progressed and achieve a top four finish in the America East Conference.
Unfortunately, the Seawolves instead suffered a tough start that seemed to never end. With a shortage of luck and a lack of confidence, Stony Brook finished 3-13-1 and 7th in the America East.
Wasting No Time: The Seawolves faced a tough challenge right away, opening the season at the UC-Irvine Classic. In the season opener, Stony Brook faced San Diego, a team that spent much of the season ranked among the top 20 in the nation and climbed as high as No. 11. The Toreros handed Stony Brook a 5-0 loss, while Stetson defeated SBU 3-0 in the Seawolves' next outing.
Stony Brook also faced Holy Cross, who cracked the Top 25 mid-season, later in the season. The Crusaders squeaked by with a 2-1 overtime win over the Seawolves.
Too Close for Comfort: Stony Brook didn't fare well in games that went down to the wire, dropping three overtime contests while tying once.
Against Holy Cross, the Crusaders tallied the gamewinning goal after a scramble in the box with just 13 seconds remaining in overtime.
Just four games later, Adelphi won in similar fashion, taking just 1:57 into the extra period to score the gamewinner.
Against Northeastern at home, the Huskies kept Stony Brook winless in overtime games, playing in a steady downpour on unfavorable field conditions.
Rider handed Stony Brook one of its most discouraging setbacks of the season, as the Broncs collected a loose ball at midfield and managed to score the gamewinning goal as time expired.
New Faces Make Impact: The Seawolves' top four leading scorers in 2002 were all newcomers--three transfers and a freshman.
Junior Anthony Barberio and sophomore Josh Allen each recorded three goals, while freshman Payton Webb and sophomore Chris Musinski tallied two apiece. Webb and Musinski also each had an assist.
As a team, Stony Brook struggled offensively, scoring just 13 goals, down from a total of 19 a season ago.
Ending on a Good Note: Senior Kevin Cameron led Stony Brook to a win over New Hampshire in the season finale as the Seawolves concluded the season in exciting fashion.
Facing a team that had not lost in six outings, the Seawolves battled the Wildcats determinedly, and it paid off with Cameron's acrobatic goal in the 12th minute. The goal, Cameron's first of the year, gave SBU a 1-0 lead that would stand.
Ferrin Strong Again: Junior Dan Ferrin was solid in the net all season, turning in another outstanding campaign despite a disappointing record.
Ferrin collected a career-high 12 saves in the season opener and recorded double-digit saves in four games. He finished the season with 105, the eighth-highest total in Stony Brook history. Ferrin was ranked among the top 20 in the nation in saves, climbing as high as third.
Ferrin finished the season with a save percentage of .789 and a goals-against average of 1.82 in nearly 1382 minutes of play.
Scarpati Named All-Rookie: Freshman Chris Scarpati received All-America East honors after a solid debut season with the Seawolves.
Scarpati, who played in all but one of the Seawolves'17 games this year, started 15 at back and scored once. He was named to the conference's All-Rookie Team for his efforts.
The recognition marked the second straight season Stony Brook has had a player named to the All-Rookie Team. Midfielder Akil Jordan received the honor last season.
Seawolves Debut in New Home:Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium, Stony Brook's new 8,136-seat field turf facility, was the site of four men's soccer games this season. The Seawolves played under the lights against two teams, the first time in the program's history Stony Brook played a night game at home.
The Seawolves went 2-2 at the stadium, defeating Marist and Maine.
Looking Ahead: Unlike the fall of 2002, next year's team will feature much more experience as the Seawolves lose only two players to graduation. The Seawolves lose just one starter in forward Kevin Cameron.
Returning will be the Seawolves' top four scorers this past fall-Josh Allen, Anthony Barberio, Payton Webb and Chris Musinski; and goalkeeper Dan Ferrin,who was ranked among the top 20 in the nation in saves. Next year's roster features five seniors and nine juniors, a far cry from this year's team that included 17 new faces.
With such a solid group returning, Stony Brook looks ahead to next year, when the Seawolves hope to acheive their first-ever postseason berth in the America East Conference.
