Philadelphia, Pa. - (9/3/2016) – A bit of an unknown in 2015, Julian Fernandez's Griffins advanced all the way to the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Championship before begrudgingly hanging up their cleats after a narrow 3-2 loss to #6 Bloomfield College. 2016 presents a different Chestnut Hill College men's soccer team, still grounded by an experienced backline and net-minder, but now deeper, carrying a larger roster with several newcomers looking to make an impression and contribute. Coach Fernandez plans on a return to the CACC title bout, to do so his Griffins will offer a multidimensional game plan that will feature an energetic and creative attack.
 
The 2015 season, first under first-year Head Coach Julian Fernandez '11, began with a pair of losses at the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) (4-1 on 9/3), and #7 Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) (3-0 on 9/6). But a return home set Chestnut Hill College (8-7-3, 6-4-2) on the right path, earning their first win in a 3-1 final over the University of the District of Columbia (UDC), on September 9. A 1-1 overtime tie with CACC rival Concordia College (NY) followed on September 12, before the Griffins earned subsequent road victories over Goldey-Beacom College (3-2 on 9/16) and Post University (1-0 on 9/19). The Griffins earned another CACC tie with Georgian Court University (2-2 (2OT) on 9/22), before a 2-4 stretch that put the pressure on heading to the latter end of their schedule. Still, Chestnut Hill College saved their best for last, overcoming Nyack College (2-1 (OT) on 10/24) and Philadelphia University (2-0 on 10/29) to secure the #4 seed in the CACC Championship Tournament.
 
Four days later, on November 2, Chestnut Hill College walked off with a 5-4 shootout win over the Rams, earning the program's first postseason victory. The triumph pitted the Scarlet and Gold opposite top-seeded Wilmington University in the CACC semifinals at Post University, on November 5. There, the Griffins magical ride continued with a 2-1 overtime win sending the Griffins to the CACC Championship. Unfortunately, a late Bloomfield College goal decided the Griffins fate, 3-2, and brought a sudden halt to their remarkable 2015 championship run.

Chestnut Hill College garnered 92 points from the league's 13 head coaches to finish seventh in the recently released 2016 CACC Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll. A surprising finish for a program that has finished the CACC regular season fifth or better in each of the last three seasons; the most recent ending in the league final. The poll will only serve as motivation for the Scarlet and Gold, who thirsts for another shot at the crown. "It should be another exciting year. With the amount of returnees we have and the amount of quality newcomers joining the fold, we expect to right back in the thick of it," commented Coach Fernandez. "We've done what's needed to get back to where we were at the end of last season. With multiple options at every positions we are definitely deep enough, which will allow us to stay fresh and give it our all."
 
The Griffins welcome back eight starters to the roster including senior goalkeeper James Jackson (Sewell, N.J.), who blossomed in his third season as the starting keeper, earning an All-CACC Second Team laurel and finishing fourth in the conference in saves (83), seventh in shutouts (2), and 10^th in goal-against-average (GAA, 2.02). In front of him, Fernandez returns a proven starting line of defenders that includes senior Nils Fussen (Aachen, Germany), senior Joseph McGuigan (Philadelphia, Pa.), and junior Lindsay Murdoch (Perth, Scotland). Fussen continued to provide offense from the backfield in 2015, ranking second on the roster with 15 points (six goals and three assists) last season. Newcomers to the defensive unit include freshmen Mo Ehmer (Surrey, England), Stephen Finore (Broomall, Pa.), and Michael Roscioli (Turnersville, N.J.), and junior Jordan Arpan (Exton, Pa.). Ehmer and Roscioli both come from high-quality programs, Queens Park Rangers of England and Washington Township, respectively, and offer advanced skills for first-year players.
 
In the midfield, the return of juniors, Joseph Casaletto (Sewell, N.J.) and Diogo Barboza (Estoril, Portugal), and sophomores, Tyler Johnson (Howell, N.J.) and Jeffrey Ast (Reading, Pa.), only strengthen the Griffins' tenured backend. Casaletto bounced back from an early-season injury in to solidify the Chestnut Hill College midfield in 2015, contributing three points (one goal and one assist) in just nine contests (9gp-6gs). Barboza, a valuable reserve in the past, is expected to continue his offensive play that has produced three clutch goals over past two seasons. Also returning to the unit is sophomore Donato Grimaldi (Philadelphia, Pa.) and senior Hampton Mitchell (Upper Marlboro, Md.). Midfield additions in 2016 include juniors Vini Brito (Sao Paulo, Brazil) and Charles Simpson (Dalgety Bay, Scotland), and a trio of freshman; Connor Bethel (Hartsville, Pa.), Paris Bruhn (Horst Holstein, Germany), and Matthew Kemerer (Latrobe, Pa.). Respective transfers from Camden County College and Herkimer County Community College, Brito and Simpson are both experienced additions, the former a confident ball handler who has a propensity to make things happen, while the latter possesses a high soccer IQ and work rate that will surely bolster the midfield's potency. Much like Simpson, Bethel also reads the field well. Meanwhile, Kemerer shows a lot of potential and exhibits patience when controlling the ball.
 
The catalyst for the Griffins lies in the forward unit, where returnees and newcomers alike will look to make up for the loss of two-time All-CACC performer Nicholas Jaffé '15. Jaffé served as one of the league's premier playmakers in 2015, ranking inside the CACC's top-10 in shots (64, 2^nd), goals (10, 7^th), and points (24, 6^th) while recording a trio of game-winning goals. Headlining the effort are sophomores Jason Burns (Douglassville, Pa.) and Jason Doherty (Letterkenny Donegal, Ireland), and senior Channing Couillard (Atlantic Beach, Fla.). Doherty was a difference-maker a year ago with two of his three goals serving as game-winners while Burns totaled six points with two goals and two assists as one of the Griffins' top reserves. Couillard – a fifth-year participant – has totaled 18 points (seven goals and four assists) over the course of his collegiate career. Bringing new talents to the forward unit is a deep crop of newcomers that includes junior Zachary Gray (West Sussex. England), and freshmen, Samuel Mitcho (Pitman, N.J.) and Darren Onwuzuruoha (Plumstead, England).

Another transfer from Camden County College, Gray has stood out from the group as marvelous attacker who will make the other players around him better. Onwuzuruoha, the Griffins' second Herkimer County Community College transfer and fourth newcomer to participate in last year's National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Quarterfinals, adds speed and creativity to the mix while Mitcho contributes a determined spirit that is sure to impact the Scarlet and Gold's promising crop of forwards.
 
"The guys who were here for the last couple years are definitely playing with a chip on their shoulder. And the new guys are really buying in," issued a confident Fernandez. "We promise nothing but high expectations and excitement." The Chestnut Hill College men's soccer season opens on Saturday, September 3, with a 4:30 p.m. contest at Roberts Wesleyan College.