Goodbye to 2015-16, Game On for 2016-17

When the baseball team's valiant run in the America East Tournament ended on Saturday, it brought an official end to a memorable year for Stony Brook Athletics.

As our focus turns squarely to 2016-17, I am filled with optimism about what lies ahead for our program.

I truly believe that our fall sports are going to set the tone for a strong year. Our goal each year is to have a minimum of five programs reach postseason play and, while that is ambitious, it is absolutely within our reach.



- Football: Entering its fourth season in the CAA, our football team is in a strong position to earn a playoff spot. Our recruiting efforts have resulted in a roster filled with talent while the addition of transfers Sherman Alston (Boston College), Jordan Gowins (Boston College), Jonathan Haynes (West Virginia) and Mason Zimmerman (Maryland) will provide an additional boost on offense under new co-coordinators Chris Bache and Carmen Felus. The defense, which led the FCS in 2015, should be dominant once again.



- Volleyball: It isn't often that a freshman class can help lead a team to a conference title, but seven strong newcomers add a talent infusion to a squad that is ready for a breakout season. Sophomores McKyla Brooks, Morgan Kath and Taylor Wilson, who played significant roles a season ago, join a group of upperclassmen who are hungry to win Stony Brook's first-ever America East volleyball championship.



- Men's Soccer: All that I ask of our coaches is to show constant improvement, and that is what I have seen with Ryan Anatol and our men's soccer program. We are so close to breaking through in a conference that produced a Final Four team in 2014 (UMBC). The team returns America East Rookie of the Year Serge Gamwanya and second-team America East performer Vince Erdei. There was a noticeable difference in the overall team speed last year, and I expect that to continue in 2016.



- Women's Soccer: I am very excited to see our women's soccer team in action under new head coach Brendan Faherty. The team played with incredible energy during the spring so I am confident that it will carry over into the fall. Raven Edwards, who was named to the America East first team in 2015, and second-team selection Priscilla Wiggins will lead a squad that is eager to push its way to the top of the conference.



- Cross Country: The America East features some of the top runners in the nation, and we are fortunate that one of them is a Seawolf. Christina Melian is the defending America East women's champion and has her sights set on a conference title and another qualifying time for the NCAA Championships. On the men's side, there is a great deal to be excited about as sophomore Bryce Hedman enjoyed a breakthrough year in leading the team to a second place finish in 2015.

CAA, America East Meetings

This is the time of year when conferences host their member institutions for annual meetings. Chuck Priore and I will travel to Hilton Head this weekend for CAA meetings and then I will head north to Burlington where I will be joined by Jeff Boals and Caroline McCombs for America East meetings.

The agendas for both the CAA and America East are filled with critical issues. Television is always a topic of discussion and will be once again this year. Student-athlete welfare issues, competitive issues and, of course, financial issues are also discussed. I always approach these meetings with the mindset of how I can proactively push the conference forward while representing the best interests of Stony Brook.

Get Your Tickets!



I want to encourage you to order your 2016 football season tickets and secure your spot in Seawolves Town today. As I stated earlier, I am confident in what our football team is going to do on the field this year. We need you to be a part of it! Please visit StonyBrookAthletics.com or call 631-632-WOLF (9653) to get your tickets.

Together We Transform!


Warm regards,



Shawn