Gwynedd Valley, Pa. – (8/26/2024) – "The 2024 season is upon us," cheered Gwynedd Mercy University Head Men's Soccer Coach Dave Bontempo. "We've continued to stockpile talent. With our coaches traveling up and down the East Coast, from Pennsylvania to New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, we have brought in our biggest class yet, 20! We're going to need the depth, we've got a schedule full of tough non-conference, playoff-caliber opponents, a number of weekend and night games, both home and away, and we expect to be in the AEC (Atlantic East Conference) playoff hunt come late October."
 
The 2023 Gwynedd Mercy University men's soccer season was one of new beginnings as the experiment of blending 15 newcomers with 12 experienced student-athletes resulted in a welcomed 4-8-6 overall record and a 2-3-1 AEC standing. As the sixth seed in the 2023 AEC Men's Soccer Championship Tournament, the Red and Gold traveled to #3 Marywood University (Oct. 28) for an AEC First Round contest; unfortunately, the Pacers advanced to the league's semifinals with a 3-0 victory. All-AEC honors were garnered by sophomore forward Braedon Kehan (Warrington, Pa.) (1st Team), graduate goalkeeper John Wagner (Phoenixville, Pa.) (2nd Team), and freshman defenseman Andre Medl (2nd Team), who also was awarded AEC Rookie of the Year title.
 
With the graduation of goalkeeper John Wagner '24, forwards Evan Kirby '24 and Hugh Lynch '24, and the limited availability of graduate midfielder Mike Fienman (Philadelphia, Pa.), captains' duties transfer to senior defenseman Victor Cruz (New Castle, Del.), senior midfielder Kasey Wallace (Audubon, N.J.), and junior forward Braedon Kehan (Warrington, Pa.). All three enjoyed brilliant 2023 seasons; Kehan led the Griffins with a dozen (12) points (3 goals, 6 assists), Wallace impressed with career-highs in goals (4), points (9), and shots (28), while Cruz commanded a backfield that helped Wagner to his All-AEC Second Team selection. Kehan will look to improve on his Gwynedd Mercy University debut with the support of senior Shaine Kirby (Newtown, Pa.), senior transfer Ed Mincarelli (East Norriton, Pa./Cabrini University), sophomore transfers Devario Gboho (Philadelphia, Pa./Cabrini University) and Alex Saldanha (Philadelphia, Pa./St. Vincent College), the occasional appearances of returning sophomores Deven Salvatore (Bensalem, Pa.), Thomas Watkins (Morrisville, Pa.), Maxwell Khazen (Phoenixville, Pa.), and Javier Hidaglo (Palisades Park, N.J.), as well as the addition of freshman Owen Polumbo (Morrisville, Pa.). The always aggressive Kirby is expected to fill the role of Mert Yildirim '24, whose relentless pursuit of the goal made him a strategical nightmare for opposing coaches in 2023.
 
Salvatore, Watkins, Khazen, and Hidalgo will also see time in the midfield with Fienman, Wallace, returning senior Michael McGlinn (Philadelphia, Pa.), junior returnee Joe Deitzel (Lansdale, Pa.), sophomore transfers Tony Mendoza (King of Prussia, Pa./Montgomery County Community College) and Mel Velasquez (Philadelphia, Pa./Cabrini University), returning sophomores Sam Hanley (East Longmeadow, Mass.) and Luke O'Donnell (Glenside, Pa.), and freshmen Ryan Burns (Jenkintown, Pa.) and Gunnar Christensen (Finksburg, Md.). O'Donnell's lone goal of 2023 served as the third Griffin goal in a 3-0 win over Centenary University (N.J.) (Oct. 25) that clinched AEC postseason berth, while McGlinn looks to return to his 2022 form that started 13 of the 18 contests.
 
Despite losing the reigning AEC Rookie of the Year Andre Medl, Cruz's backfield depth includes senior Matt Edwards (Bensalem, Pa.), junior transfer Colin Stocklin (Philadelphia, Pa./Cabrini University), junior returnees C.J. Clyde (Southampton, Pa.) and Hagan Meyer (Warrington, Pa.), returning sophomores Cole Costello (Richboro, Pa.), Axel Mayren (Atlantic City, N.J.), as well as freshmen Jack Barnett (Bensalem, Pa.), Pierce Kirby (Newtown, Pa.), Pat Kitchenman (Philadelphia, Pa.), Dominic Lodise (Bensalem, Pa.), and Anthony Ramos (Philadelphia, Pa.). "Cruz, Edwards, Stocklin, Clyde, Costello, Meyer, and Mayren will see a bulk of the time in the backfield. The guys returning to this unit were critical to our success in 2023," said Coach Bontempo. "They did a lot of heavy lifting. As always, they will provide the experience, size, strength, tenacity, and speed we need in the defensive third."
 
Coach Bontempo's full compliment of field players will battle in front of a three-man goalkeeping unit that includes freshmen Fionn Berton (Bordentown, N.J.) and Cody Sell (Souderton, N.J.), alongside junior transfer Joe Romano (Blue Bell, Pa./ Montgomery County Community College). The group will aim to replicate the 71 saves, .807 save percentage, and a 1.36 GAA posted in Wagner's swan-song season.
 
"New challenges await," acknowledged Coach Bontempo. "Our staff made sure we will be tested early with a tough non-conference schedule, but we are deeper, more experienced, and hungrier than we have ever been. I really believe we can celebrate a home playoff victory and challenge for the conference crown this season."
 
The 2024 Gwynedd Mercy University men's soccer season kicks off on Friday, August 30, with a 3:30 p.m. contest at DeSales University.