Raiders Got Back On Track Last Year But Still HaVe Something To Prove In 2023.
| Coach – Erik Ronning – 19th season |
| Conference – Patriot League |
| 2022 Record – 7-4-7 overall, 3-1-5 in conference |
| 2022 National Ranking – Not Ranked |
| Five Year Win Total 2022 – 7 2021 – 0 2020 – 1 2019 – 6 2018 – 13 |
| Key Departures Bobby Foose – Midfielder – 46 appearances with 14 starts over four seasons with four career goals and 5 career assists. Team Captain. Appeared in 18 games in 2022 with four starts. Scored four goals and contributed three assists in 2022. Drew Fisher – Forward – 48 appearances with 32 starts over four seasons with five career goals and four career assists. Appeared in 11 in 2022 with two starts. Max Edelstein – Forward – Appeared in 58 games with eight starts over four seasons with five career goals and one career assist. Appeared in 15 games in 2022 with three goals and one assist. Antonio Ducrot – Midfielder – Appeared in 43 games with 19 starts over four seasons with three career goals and two career assists. Played in 18 contests in 2022 with seven stars with two goals and two assists. Nick Steed – Midfielder – Appeared in 27 games with 15 starts over four seasons with one career goal and two career assists. Played in 17 games with 12 starts in 2022. John Muckstadt – Defender – Appeared in 31 games with 23 starts over four seasons. Played in four games in 2022 with two starts. |
| 2023 Outlook A determined Colgate team got the Raiders back on track last year after uncharacteristically subpar seasons in 2020 and 2021. Significant progress was made but plenty of room for improvement remains. Upward movement in 2023 will require continued improvement on both sides of the ball. That said, with a solid and deep group of players returning with an additional year of experience under their belts, the potential clearly exists to move the close contests the Raiders had last year (seven 1-1 ties) into the win column in 2023. Complacency is not likely to be a problem at Colgate in 2023. The Raiders look to be a team that will enter the season with unfinished business to take care of. In other words, they will be motivated to build on the foundation put in place last year. Team continuity and togetherness helped fuel the turnaround last year and have the potential to give Colgate the edge they need to take another step forward in 2023. Senior Aidan Davock (5g, 1a), 2022 All-Patriot League Second Team, and junior Alejandro Coury (1g, 3a), 2022 All-Patriot League Third Team, are among returning forwards who will be counted on for offensive firepower. Junior Timmy Donovan (3g, 1a) and sophomore Colin Hughes (1g, 0a) look to be among other returning players with the potential to add to the attack up top. Freshman Conor Geraghty who played for PRFC U19 in the MLS Next is among several members of the recruiting class with the potential to add an additional dimension to the offense. The midfield looks to be deep led by seniors Adam Fam (0g, 2a), juniors Mason Pahule (0g, 2a) and Dale Lepper, and sophomore Cason Stafford (0g, 4a). Seniors Simon Hall (0g, 1a) and Will Bugliari and sophomore Ethan Harris (1g, 0a) round out a solid contingent of returning linkmen. Freshman Wade Johnson out of the Worcester Academy and New England FC is among the newcomers with the potential to challenge for minutes in the midfield. The backline looks to be in good shape, given the return of sophomore center back Liam Winograd who now has the benefit of a year of starting experience under his belt, junior left back Jacob Blackwin (0g,1a), a two-year starter, and multi-year starters seniors Chris Noriega (1g, 1a) and Ryan Leask. Juniors Toby Goldner and Lucas Rodriguez are among other returning backs who look to be in the mix. Freshman Connor Cates who honed his skills as a member of the Weston FC in the MLS Next League is among the members of the recruiting class who could challenge for playing time in the back. Senior Andrew Cooke who has been the starter in goal for the past three seasons returns to anchor the defense between the pipes. Junior Oliver Townend who started three games last year and sophomore Eric Widrick also return in goal along with freshman Shane Williams. Colgate regained their identify and confidence as a team last year. Regardless, challenges still exist on both sides of the ball. Improvement is needed in set piece defending and additional goal scorers must emerge. Regardless, there is a sense of energy and purpose around the program that bodes well for the ability of the Raiders to secure higher ground in 2023. The sum of the parts would indicate that the program is on the right track. |
| Newcomers – Erik Ronning stated, “This balanced class will add quality depth to an already strong group of returning players, and many will challenge for starting positions. We expect great things to come with this deep and talented class and can not wait for this group to arrive on campus for Fall camp.” Jack Beerling – Midfielder – Kent, England – Beths Grammar – Played for the England Schoolboys at the under-18 international level in 2021-2022. Played for Corinthian FC. Rory Brookhart – Midfielder – Potomac, Maryland – Winston Churchill – Four-year letter winner at Winston Churchill where he had 26 goals and 31 career assists. 2022 Washington Post All-Metro First Team. 2022 Maryland Association of Coaches of Soccer All-State First team selection. 2022 Academic All-American. Played for Bethesda Soccer Club. Cooper Cardenas – Defender – Friendship, North Carolina – Apex Friendship – Two-year varsity player at Apex Friendship with nine goals and 16 assists over two seasons. Team captain. Had six goals and nine assists during senior season. 2022 All-Conference selection. Played club for Wake FC in the MLS Next since 2021. Connor Cates – Defender – Miami, Florida – Archbishop McCarthy – Played for Weston FC in the MLS Next League from 2016-2023 scoring 15 goals and contributing seven assists. Team captain as a senior. Conor Geraghty – Forward – Glendale, Arizona – Mountain Ridge – Played for Mountain Ridge as a freshman and was named to the 6a Desert Valley First Team. All-Region MVP. Played club and was team captain for PRFC U-19 scoring 17 goals with eight assists in the MLS Next. Member of the 2022 UPSL U19 and 2023 USL U19 teams. Wade Johnson – Midfielder – Sherborn, Massachusetts – Worcester Academy – Four-year varsity team member at Worcester Academy. Scored seven goals and contributed ten assists his senior season. Team captain sophomore through senior seasons. All-NEPSAC and United Soccer Coaches All-State selection. Played club for New England FC where he had nine assists over three seasons. Luke Newman – Midfielder – Mission Viejo, California – Santa Margarita Catholic – Three-year varsity member at Santa Margarita with nine goals and 11 assists. Team captain his senior season. 2023 First Team All-Trinity League. Santa Margarita Catholic Offensive Player of the Year. Played club for PSC in the UPSL where he had 15 assists. Had 22 assists playing as a right back for the Slammers 05. Will Thygeson – Winger – Little Silver, New Jersey – Christian Brothers Academy – Three-year varsity member at Christian Brothers Academy with 20 career goals and 22 career assists. Team captain his senior season during which he scored 11 goals and had ten assists. 2022 N.J. All-State First Team selection. 2022 South Jersey Player of the Year. Played club for Dutchman FC where he scored a total of 33 goals and had 45 career assists. Shane Williams – Goalkeeper – Boulder, Colorado – Fairview – Three-year varsity member of Fairview High School playing in a total of 50 games while recording 456 saves and posting 20 shutouts. Two-year team captain who had a 92 per cent save percentage his senior season while starting 20 contests. All-West Region Team selection. All-State First Team selection. All-Front Range Region selection. Played club for Colorado Edge. Aidan Wright – Midfielder – Ijamesville, Maryland – Oakdale – Four-year varsity player for Oakdale High School with 31 goals and 25 assists. Two-year team captain. All-County selection. All-State honorable mention. Played club for ASC Academy he was the all-time leader in goals and assists and seven-year captain. Charlie Yates – Forward – Fairfield, Connecticut – Green Farms Academy – Two-year varsity member at Green Farms Academy. Played club for Beachside CT in the MLS Next during his junior and senior seasons. Had 13 goals and eight assists during two season with Beachside CT. |
Picture from Colgate Athletics
