Six things you need to know about the 2023 Men's Soccer Team

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The RIT men's soccer team opens the 2022 campaign on Friday (Sept. 1) at Brockport. The Tigers qualified for the 2022 Liberty League Tournament for the fifth time., advancing to the semifinal. Here are the top six things you need to know about the Tigers heading into the season.

"Our team showed resilience last season, coming together and finishing strong after a challenging start" said RIT head coach Bill Garno. "We took advantage of the opportunity to reset some things in the off season, and we have continued to build on that positivity throughout preseason. Maintaining that mindset while we continue to grow with all our new players this fall will be a key to our performance."
 
EXPERIENCE UP FRONT
Senior co-captain Randy Dickersbach returns for 2023. The United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-District and First Team All-Liberty League selections was seventh in the league with 18 points and tied for second in the league with six assists. Senior midfielder Jonathan Cohen was third on the team with 10 points and tied for sixth in the league in assists. Senior co-captain Joshua Price was tied for fourth on the team with five points, and junior John Lucas returns after spending last fall on co-op. He tallied seven points (2g, 3a) in 2021.
 
THE MIDFIELD
Sophomore Tate Pottle and senior Joe Moon return to the Tigers midfield. Pottle scored two goals in his first season in 2022, while Moon returns healthy. Senior Sean Pacilio looks ready to contribute in 2023.

DEFENDERS
Junior David Merriman, and sophomore Maurizio Gonzalez return to sure up the middle of the Tiger's defense, while senior co-captain Patrick Kenyon and sophomore Ian Reeve and junior Benjamin Duby return to help patrol the flanks. Merriman tallied a goal and an assist last season and led the Tigers in minutes, while Kenyon tallied a goal and two assists last season.

TRAPP-ER KEEPER
Junior goaltender Jason Trapp returns as the starting goalie for the 2023 season. He won eight games in 2022, finishing sixth in the Liberty League with a 1.03 goals against average. He was tied for third in the league with five shutouts and eighth with a .710 save percentage. Sophomore Connor Cronin has made great improvements in the off-season.
 
NEW BLOOD
Garno welcomes 10 newcomers to the squad, including two transfers. Junior midfielder Rom Wasserman played at Quinnipiac and will join the midfield in 2023. Sophomore transfer Jake Donahue will add depth at forward. First-year Adam Eastman should see time at midfield.
 
2023 SCHEDULE
The Tigers will play 15 regular-season games, including nine games against Liberty League rivals and eight games at Doug May Field at Tiger Stadium.
 
The Tigers begin their 2023 campaign on Sept. 1 at Brockport, followed by a pair of non-conference home games against Keuka (Sept. 5) and Geneseo (Sept. 8). The Tigers play at the University of Rochester on Sept. 12 in the Rochester Derby, followed by a home game against St. John Fisher (Sept. 16).
 
RIT begins Liberty League play at home against Clarkson (Sept. 23) and rounds out September at Houghton (Sept. 27) and home against Bard (Sept. 30).
 
The Tigers begin October with four straight road games, beginning at Hobart (Oct. 4). RIT travels to St. Lawrence (Oct. 7), and continues its road swing at Skidmore (Oct. 13) and RPI the following day. RIT returns to home to face Union (Oct. 21), Ithaca (Oct. 24) and finishes the regular season at home against Vassar (Oct. 28).