Men’s Soccer Opens 2022 Against Mitchell Thursday

SUFFOLK VS. MITCHELL
Date Time Venue Video Stats Program Series Last Meeting   Last Suffolk Win Streak	Thursday, Sept. 3 3:00 PM East Boston Memorial Park East Boston, Mass.  Suffolk Playsight GoSuffolkRams.com GoSuffolkRams.com 1-1-0 Oct. 14, 2019, W, 1-0  Same W1

BOSTON – Suffolk men's soccer pulls the curtain back on its 2022 campaign Thursday, Sept. 1 when it entertains Mitchell at James A. Sartori Stadium at East Boston Memorial Park. First kick is scheduled for 3 p.m. 

SOCIAL SAYINGS
Ram Nation has a chance to keep up with all the latest news and notes on Suffolk Athletics, its student-athletes and teams by following the Rams on  Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Fans are encouraged to use the hashtag #RamNation a behind-the-scene look at Suffolk Athletics.

RAMS REWIND
Suffolk's first season in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) saw the Rams go 4-5-0 against conference foes to earn the eighth spot in the league playoffs. The blue-and-gold slipped in the play-in game to cross town and conference rival Wentworth, 2-0, to end its year 8-9-1 overall.  

The 2021 edition of Suffolk men's soccer kept Ram Nation on the edge of its seat as seven games were decided by one goal (3-4-0), nine finished in shutout fashion (5-4-1) and four needed extra time to decide a winner (1-2-1). 

RAMS ROOKIES
More than half of Suffolk's 35-man roster will put on the blue-and-gold for the first time as head coach Bill Maddockrecruited 19 newcomers to join the Rams ranks for the 2021 campaign.

The group is a mixture of collegiate first-years with 10 true freshmen with a trio of transfers featured in the group in junior Andrew Awada (Assumption) and sophomores Damon Smargon (University of San Francisco) and Matteo Simonini (North Carolina Wesleyan).

Position wise, there are five midfielders and a quartet of defenders and forwards, respectively.

MORE READING: Baker's Dozen Rookies Join Men's Soccer for 2022 

TRANSITIONING TRANFSERS
A trio of new Rams brought their talents to Boston from previous programs: Damon Smargon, Matteo Simoniniand Andrew Awada.

Smargon, a sophomore, is a D1 transfer who got his collegiate playing days underway at the University of San Francisco. Junior Awada comes from Assumption, a D2 institution, while Smargon's classmate Simonini transitions from D3's N.C. Wesleyan. 

GEOGRAPHY 101
Suffolk's 36-man roster is comprised of national and international student-athletes.

The bulk of the roster is stateside, mainly Massachusetts, with 16 Bay State natives. Overall, 11 different states are represented with multiple student-athletes from California (2), Connecticut (3), Georgia (1), Florida (2), Missouri (1), New Hampshire (1), New Jersey (1), Pennsylvania (1), Rhode Island (1) and Virginia (1).

Student-athletes have brought their talents to Beantown from the Northern Mariana Islands, a US Territory, as well as from abroad: Bermuda, Italy and Switzerland.

CLASS CATEGORIES
The Rams' roster is underclassmen heavy with 10 true freshman and 15 sophomores, which accounts for 68.6 percent of the team. Seven juniors nearly double the four-man senior contingent. 

POSITION PLAUDITS
Position wise, Bill Maddock has assembled a 36-player roster will depth at every spot on the field. There are 14 midfielders to go along with eight forwards with 12 defenders backing up the two sets of goalie gloves. 

RAMS RINGLEADERS
Dai Podziewski and Trevor Murdock are back in the leadership role for Suffolk men's soccer as the upperclassmen will co-captain the 2022 Rams. 

MORE READING: Podziewski, Murdock to Co-Captain Men's Soccer in 2022

COACH'S CORNER
Bill Maddock is set for his third season, second full competition campaign, at Suffolk after leading the Rams back onto the pitch and into the CCC after a year sidelined due to COVID-19. 

The head coach has a heap of help on the bench in 2022. Assistant coach Juan Gonzalez returns to the fold for his fourth year with the program, third on Maddock's staff, while Warren Backman and Danny O'Neill join the program as first-year assistants along with Goalkeeper's Coach Jarrod Smith. 

OPENING ACT

• Suffolk got back in the win column on day one of the season for the first time since 2017 last year with a 4-0 shutout of Mass. Maritime.
• Since 2002, the Rams are 11-7-1 in the first test of the year.
• Suffolk will play at home for its season debut for the second straight season. The Rams are 7-2-0 when opening the curtain on its campaign in front of its home crowd since 2002.
• The Rams have locked up a victory in game one of the season in shutout fashion five times since 2002, including last season's 4-0 triumph over Mass. Maritime. Four of those five cleansheets have come on Suffolk's home pitch.
• On the flip side of things, Suffolk has been kept off the scoreboard twice in game one. Framingham State is the last opponent to hold the blue-and-gold scoreless in the season debut, doing so in 2014 by a 4-0 margin.
• Suffolk has needed extra time to determine an outcome in the first contest of the year twice since 2002. In that span, the Rams are 0-1-1 in game one OT outings.
• The blue-and-gold is unbeaten in game one under Bill Maddock's guidance.
• Suffolk has not been scored against in the first game of the season with Maddock on the sidelines.
• The Rams will tangle with Mitchell in its first game of the schedule for the first time. 

WATCH AND SEE
 

PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
Following a vote by the league's 10 head coaches, Suffolk has been slotted to finish its second season in the league sixth in the CCC Preseason Coaches' Poll.

MORE READING: Men's Soccer Selected Sixth in CCC Preseason Poll 

MARINERS MENTIONABLES
Mitchell will be under new leadership in 2022 as Cameron Pilger took over the program that went 1-12-4 in 2021.  

Pilger brought his talents to the Mariners bench after a four-year stint at the University of Saint Joseph where he led the Blue Jays to a 32-16-4 record over his tenure. 

Mitchell lost its top three offensive outputs from last year's squad to graduation. He will look to returning netminders Dylan Kinsella and Joey Rosa, who split time between the pipes a year ago, to lead the way in 2022.  

INSIDE THE SERIES

• Suffolk sits 1-1-0 all-time against Mitchell. 
• The Rams and Mariners will meet for the first time in the Bill Maddock era and first time since Oct. 14, 2019 when Suffolk shutout Mitchell, 1-0. 
• Suffolk is unbeaten against Mitchell at home, 1-0-0. 
• The Rams only win over the Mariners came in shutout form, 1-0, Oct. 14, 2019.
• Both games between Suffolk and Mitchell were determined by one-goal.  

EYES ON THE GAME

MAKE THE PLEDGE TO BE THERE SATURDAY, SEPT. 10 
Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death for college athletes. While athletes have many protective factors in place - community, resources, regular exercise - the pressure to succeed and time constraints can elevate their risk of developing suicidal thoughts. The stressful nature of participating in collegiate athletics, especially now with the added pressure of the COVID-19 pandemic, can significantly affect student-athletes and their mental well-being.

Everyone has a role to play in suicide prevention. Suffolk Athletics is asking all members of Ram Nation – students, alumni, faculty, staff, family and fans – to take a pledge to be there; be there for yourself and others.

On Saturday, Sept. 10, join the Suffolk men's soccer team in making it a mission to be there and bring awareness to suicide prevention. 

READ MORE: Rams Take a Stand in Suicide Prevention

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk's opening week is a hectic one as it hits the road Labor Day weekend for outings at Westfield State and Mass. Maritime. The Rams will first stop by the Owls Saturday, Sept. 3 for a 5 p.m. game, before visiting the Buccaneers Monday, Sept. 5 at 3 p.m.