June 12, 2008

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Ten newcomers including two transfers will join the Stony Brook men's soccer program, head men's soccer coach Cesar Markovic has announced. Tom Butler (Birmingham, England/Bromsgrove School), Luis Gonzalez (Caracas, Venezuela/Gordon College), Vuk Grbovic (Belgrade, Serbia/Technical School), Jherrett Maroney (Cincinnatus, N.Y./Cincinnatus Central), Kyle McTurk (Hauppauge, N.Y./Smithtown West), Matt Piccoli (Selden, N.Y./Florida Gulf Coast), Yannick Prescod (Rochester, N.Y./McQuaid Jesuit), Anthony Rogic (Parsippany, N.J./Morris Catholic), Aaron Woodruff (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Mountain Vista) and Kevin Zalewski (Parsippany, N.J./Parsippany) will attend and play soccer at Stony Brook in 2008.

Butler is a strong and fast forward who Markovic expects to compete for playing time right away. Gonzalez, who sat out last season to concentrate on academics, was named the Seawolves' Most Improved Player in the spring. Grbovic, the fourth Serbian player on the 2008 roster, is someone Markovic expects to be a big player over the next four years. Maroney is a two-way player from Western New York who's aggressive around the ball. McTurk is a local player from Hauppauge, N.Y. who excelled at both soccer and lacrosse in high school. Piccoli, who returns to New York after a season in Florida, is a former U15 national team performer. Prescod is the second of two Western New York student-athletes to join the Seawolves this season and a highly touted player who uses speed to his advantage. Rogic, the cousin of former Seawolves' men's soccer player Adam Ciklic '07, is an athletic keeper who will compete for a starting position in the future. Woodruff is the first Seawolf from Colorado who competed for one of the best club teams in the United States, Real Colorado. Zalewski is a talented multi-functional player with good feet who will add depth to the Seawolves midfield.

"Top to bottom, this is our best class at Stony Brook," said Markovic. "I expect all of these players to compete for playing time this year."

In addition, Markovic has announced the team's 2008 schedule which features three schools that made it past the first round of the NCAA College Cup. "Each year, we want to play the best competition possible," said Markovic. "I want our team to get used to the level it takes to win on the road."

The Seawolves start the season with three games on the road beginning with Long Island rival Hofstra on August 29. Stony Brook faces a first-time opponent in Lehigh on August 31 before facing perennial power UConn on September 3. The home slate begins on September 7 when the Seawolves take on LIU at 5 pm. Stony Brook travels to D.C. to face Georgetown, the second of three first-time opponents, before finishing the week at home vs. Columbia on September 12. The Seawolves are back on the road for five of the next six games with the non-conference home finale against Towson on September 20. The non-conference slate concludes with tough matches against Akron on September 27 and Duke on September 30.

Stony Brook opens the 2008 America East schedule against America East tournament champion Vermont on October 4. The Seawolves host Boston University on October 8 before heading out on the road to face in state rival Albany on October 15. Stony Brook has home matches against Maine and New Hampshire on October 19 and 22, respectively and night contests at Hartford and Binghamton on October 25 and 29. The 2008 regular season concludes on November 2 at home against UMBC.