FITCHBURG — The Fitchburg State University men’s soccer team might be one of the deepest in the nine-year tenure of head coach Werner Thissen.
This year’s Falcons are hoping a good mix of key veterans and a strong recruiting class will get FSU back in contention with the top tier of the MASCAC.
The team goal for this season is to finish in the top six in the MASCAC, as those are the teams that qualify for the postseason tournament. The top four receive at least one home playoff game, and Thissen believes that goal is in the cards.
“We put home-field advantage in the playoffs as one of our goals this year,” Thissen said. “I think we have the team to accomplish that. We have depth at every position — defense, midfield, strikers, forwards. I’m super excited for this year.”
The Falcons are well-balanced in terms of classes with eight seniors, eight juniors, four sophomores and nine freshmen.
“We have a deep roster, with 29 players and three goalkeepers,” Thissen said. “We have three transfers in, and a lot of good freshmen who I can see making an impact. I already have one who is going to be a starter for us right away.”
The prize of the recruiting class is 6-foot-7 striker Alex Loyd out of Silver Lake Regional. The highly touted recruit won’t have to wait long to make an impact, as he looks to be an immediate starter.
“Loyd is exactly what I was trying to get into our program,” Thissen said. “He’s fast, just a workhorse, and he can finish. I’m super excited having him up on top.”
Wing players include Larry Janvier and Marckdonard Bastien. Both are seniors who are expected to make big contributions. Some of the bench players can fill in, as well, as it is a very deep position, according to Thissen. Bastien is currently battling an injury, so the depth is crucial.
Junior Yannick DePina is part of a depth-heavy attacking midfield corps.
“I expect DePina to make big contributions this year,” Thissen said. “He will especially connect with (Loyd) up top. They’ve shown in practices that they have a very good understanding of the game, which certainly helps.”
Sophomore Raphael Coelho will start in a holding midfield role. In the first game of the 2018 season, Coelho sustained a season-ending injury, which set the Falcons back. His return is expected to have a big impact this year. Fitchburg State also has other midfielders at its disposal, which give the option of an attacking or defensive approach.
Junior Anna Maria College transfer athlete Sean Nugent will be a projected starting center-back. Nashoba Regional alumnus Nolan Brassard will also be a featured center-back. Brassard is heading into his senior season after appearing in 51 games over the past three years, with 45 starts.
Senior Zachary Buckland will be one of the featured fullbacks. Jeremiah Maki, an Oakmont Regional alumnus and sophomore, is one of the emerging stars at fullback. Richmond Antwi is another defensive player of note.
Junior goalkeeper Branton Abbett will split time with junior Sebastian Jaramillo to start the season, before a determination for the primary keeper is made for conference play.
Abbett has 16 career appearances, with 15 starts. He boasts a 2.32 goals-against average, a 66.7 save percentage and a 6-8 record. Jaramillo has six appearances in his career with a 2.15 GAA, a 73.2 save percentage and a 2-2-1 record.
“Both goalies have their strengths and weaknesses,” Thissen said. “Both have also performed at a very high level in practices and scrimmages. It is a very tight race for the No. 1 spot, and hopefully we get a good picture in the non-conference games. They will share duties and then we’ll make a decision.”
In the preseason MASCAC coaches’ poll, Fitchburg State is projected to finish seventh out of the conference’s eight teams. Thissen isn’t putting too much stock in polls, however, since the Falcons are picked below Massachusetts Maritime, a team they have defeated during the last few seasons.
“It doesn’t really matter to me,” Thissen said of the poll. “We were voted seventh, even though we beat Mass Maritime last year and the years before. They can vote us seventh or eighth every year, and if we can make the postseason and go far every year, that’s fine with me.”
It is hard to make projections about an upcoming season, Thissen said, but there are some teams he knows that will be a challenge.
“We know that Framingham is going to be strong,” Thissen said. “They are packed in terms of quality players and they got a few transfers who will help them. However last year we thought that Framingham would win, but Bridgewater defeated them. So you never know with the MASCAC.”
Fitchburg State opened the season on Friday with a 2-2 tie against Elms College. Other upcoming non-conference games are the home opener against Emmanuel College on Wednesday, followed by road trips to Becker College and Gordon College. The most difficult non-conference matchups occur later in the season when the Falcons will host Clark University Oct. 9 and Wesleyan University on Oct. 16.
