Philadelphia, Pa. – (8/30/2018) – For Head Coach Zack Ssebatindira and the Chestnut Hill College men's soccer team, the 2018 season began the moment the last second disappeared from the Camps Field scoreboard in a 1-0 loss to East Stroudsburg University on October 26, 2017. "This group has consistently worked incredibly hard since last season. The coaching staff, our athletic trainers, our strength coach, the student-athletes and their families, everyone has made sacrifices to put us in a place to have a memorable season this year." He continued, "Our program goal always remains to return to the CACC (Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference) playoffs and that will not change. Our guys have truly taken it to heart. You can feel the energy in every session. They have consistently worked to get better every day."
 
The Griffins finished the 2017 season – their first under Ssebatindira – with a 5-12 (4-8 CACC) overall record. For the second straight season the Scarlet and Gold was led by their captain and Most Valuable Player (MVP) Joseph Casaletto '18, who finished as the team leader in goals (8) and points (17), while providing game-winners in CACC victories over Nyack College (W, 3-1 on September 30) and Felician University (W, 3-0 on October 21). In 2018, the torch has been passed to seniors, midfielder Tales Domingues (Saó Paulo, Brazil) and forward Jason Doherty (Letterkenny Donegal, Ireland). Domingues started 16 (17gp-16gs) games for the Griffins in 2017, providing a pair of assists (2 points) and 16 shots. A fiery player, Doherty acts as a trigger for the offense. He has offered nine points (4 goals, 1 assist) over his first three seasons and deliver the game-winner in last year's 1-0 over the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) (W, 1-0 on September 6). Forward Jason Burns (Reading, Pa.) and midfielder Tyler Johnson (Howell, N.J.) join Domingues and Doherty to comprise a senior class that has earned the praise of their coach, "Our senior class is the glue that will hold this group together." Coach Ssebatindira added, "Three of the four have been here for all four years and truly understand the level of sacrifice, perseverance, and quality of play it takes to be successful at Chestnut Hill. Their positional versatility, willingness, to put team over self, and overwhelming desire to finish on a high note is the fuel that will drive this team forward. I'm very excited to see where they take us this year." Burns netted his only two goals of 2017 in a dramatic 2-1 league-victory over Dominican College (W, 2-1 on September 21), while Johnson started all 17 games (17gp-17gs) as a dependable contributor to the Scarlet and Gold midfield.

The seniors are supported by a strong groups of returning juniors, which includes four impressive defenders; Connor Bethel (Hartsville, Pa.), Paris Bruhn (Horst Holstein, Germany), Stephen Finore (Broomall, Pa.), and Michael Roscioli (Turnersville, N.J.), as well as, a pair of influential midfielders in Mo Ehmer (Staines, England) and Matthew Kemerer (Latrobe, Pa.), and goalkeeper, Frank Maniscalco (Philadelphia, Pa.). Among the class, Bruhn enjoyed a breakout sophomore season, providing four assists in 2017. Maniscalco was 5-9 in 14 starts (14gp-14gs) last year, making 63 saves on a 2.38 goals-against-average (GAA) and a .670 save percentage.
 
Returning sophomores include midfielder, and 2017 Coach's Award winner, Andrew Thompson (Galloway, N.J.), defensemen Matt Kehr (Exton, Pa.), Brendan Rush (Exton, Pa.), John Zaggi III (Ewing, N.J.), forward Miguel Marra (Ossining, N.Y.), and goalkeeper Sergio Hernandez (Ossining, N.Y.). Thompson is sure to see more field time after proving his worth during his freshmen campaign. Marra showed signs of potential in 2017, scoring a goal (2 points) while making two starts in 16 appearances (16gp-2gs) last season.
 
Among the newcomers, junior transfers, Andrew Johnstone (Liverpool, England) (Harcum College) and Pedro Dutra (Passos, Brazil) (Meridian Community College) will have the greatest impact. Coach Ssebatindira lauded the pair, siting their maturity and experience as major factors in the Griffins chemistry, "Their ability to integrate quickly into the team dynamic, on and off the field, will be a key strength that we rely on this year. That stability has allowed our younger players, both freshmen and sophomores alike, to settle into the rhythms of the season quickly." Also playing in their first season for Chestnut Hill College are sophomore transfer, forward Lucas de Sá (Bahia, Brazil) (Camden County Community College), sophomore goalkeeper Mike Haas (Huntingdon Valley, Pa.), and freshmen midfielders Mustaf Nuredini (Norristown, Pa.) and David Cortez (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.).
 
"For this team, the challenge is to leave the program in a better place than they found it," stated Coach Ssebatindira. "We have the talent, we have the senior leadership, we have the chemistry, now we simply have to step out on the pitch and deliver." The challenge begins today, Thursday, August 30, as the Griffins open the 2018 season with a 6:30 p.m. contest at Shippensburg University.