Stony Brook, N.Y. - The 2015 Stony Brook men's soccer season was a positive step in the right direction as the Seawolves won seven games and hosted an America East Quarterfinal match. Unfortunately, the season ended in disappointment as the Seawolves relinquished a late lead in an overtime defeat to Binghamton.

The experience should serve the Seawolves well as they return eight starters from last season, including America East Rookie of the YearSerge Gamwanya (Trondheim, Norway) and leading scorer Vince Erdei (Budapest, Hungary).

The Seawolves showed their potential in the spring, winning all five of its games against Division I opponents without conceding a goal. The optimism surrounding the team is high as they enter the season.

"The team came into camp fit and ready to go and it has carried over to our performances in our two exhibitions." said head coach Ryan Anatol. "We have a nice mix of returning veterans and new faces. The team has meshed nicely and we are excited to get underway Friday vs. Hofstra."

Forwards

A midfielder as a freshman, Erdei seamlessly transitioned to a forward as a sophomore, exploding for a team-high eight goals and 20 points to earn second team all-conference honors. He will be counted on again to spearhead a relatively new forward lineup. 
St. John's transfer Dela Agbotse (Accra, Ghana), who scored two goals in three seasons for the Red Storm, will be a dynamic presence up top as will senior Eduardo Valle (Miami, Fla.), junior Akeem Morris (Elmont, N.Y.) and freshman Mark Irvine (Southampton, England). Freshman Ricardo Moncada Peon, who stands 6'4", will provide a big target option.

Midfield

Gamwanya earned Rookie of the Year honors, thanks to a three goal, five assist freshman campaign. He will be joined in the center of the park by sophomore Martieon Watson (Vessigny, Trinidad), who also had a stellar freshman season, scoring two goals to go along with an assist. Sophomore Steven Ghitis (Weston, Fla.) gained valuable experience in the holding midfield role as a freshman and will be an integral part of the midfield in 2016.

Junior Leo Rubio (Liverpool, N.Y.) and freshman Gabriel Fernandes (North Babylon, N.Y.) also provide steady, reliable contributions in the central areas and will be counted on to contribute.

Freshman Jarred Dass (Marabella, Trinidad), who participated with the Trinidad U 20 National Team this summer and made an impact with the Seawolves when he joined for the spring season, and junior Thibault Duval (Liege, Belgium) offer dynamic play-making abilities in the wide areas. Duval has solidified himself as one of the top options going forward with three goals and eight assists through his first two seasons. The pace of junior Akeem Morris (Elmont, N.Y.) will also be a commodity for Stony Brook as it attacks down the flanks.  FreshmanMacdara Heanue (Garrison, N.Y.) is a tidy player on the left side with the ability to play dangerous crosses with his left foot.

Defense 

The back four will be anchored by senior Tavares Thompson (Kingston, Jamaica) and incoming grad student Lars Togstad (Trondheim, Norway.). Thompson has logged 37 games in his career, 35 of which have been starts. Togstad, a former Norwegian international and former teammate of Gamwanya at Nardo F.K., captained the Norwegian club for the last two seasons. Junior Barnabas Mako (Budapest, Hungary) will also play a prominent role in the back four after seeing action in 21 matches and notching 18 career starts in two seasons. 

Junior and two-year starter Danny Espinosa (East Meadow, N.Y.) will anchor the right back position, as he has done in every match of his career to date. He has five career assists. The left back position will be occupied by senior Kofi Ramirez Osei-Tutu (Trondheim, Norway) and sophomore Devin Flanagan (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.). Osei-Tutu has provided a steady presence his freshman year and has seen action in 50 career matches. Flanagan provides a left-footed option with his service and had an assist in 12 matches as a freshman. Freshmen Stephen Turnbull (Holtsville, N.Y.) and Christian Saint Louis (Valley Stream, New York) add depth at outside back.

Goalkeepers

Stony Brook will be led in goal by junior Tom McMahon (Nassau Bay, Texas). The big Texasn started 16 matches in 2014 and has notched four shutouts in 17 career starts. Freshmen Gianfranco Barone (Howard Beach, N.Y.) and Wojciech Gajda will push McMahon for playing time.