by Jim Mullins
Assistant Director
Sports Information
September 4, 1999

With depth and experience Corsairs look to move up in Little East Conference standings

(Dartmouth, MA) - With two rebuilding seasons behind him, UMass Dartmouth men's soccer coach Niall O'Donnell is looking forward to his third season because he has a roster deep in experience plus some talented newcomers to the program.

Of the 12 players returning for the Corsairs' 1999 season, 11 were regular starters last season when UMass Dartmouth finished in a tie for fourth place (3-4) in the Little East Conference with Western Connecticut. Plymouth State ran the table to win the LEC title at 7-0 and 16-0-2 overall. Keene State finished second at 6-1 and 15-5 overall.

"This is my third season as head coach but this is the first year that I am optimistic about the season," said O'Donnell. "The first two years were spent rebuilding the program and it has been a struggle to keep the players motivated. However, I think the program has turned the corner."

Depth and experience in all facets of the game are what O'Donnell will be working with as the Corsairs prepare for the 1999 season. On offense, UMass Dartmouth returns three of its top four scorers from last season, including senior Tony Moreira (Pawtucket, RI) and juniors Keita Monteiro (Taunton, MA) and Mike Takacs (Winchester, MA). Moreira and Monteiro both had four goals and an assist for nine points last season, while Takacs had three goals for six points. Sophomore Joao Mendes (Brockton, MA), who scored two goals with two assists last season, will also be part of the Corsairs' attack.

Senior goalie Rob Costa (Taunton, MA) will be back after posting a 3-5-1 record with one shutout and a 1.82 goals against average last season. Costa will benefit from an experienced defense in front of him led by junior defender Patrick Gavin (Thornton, CO), a Second Team All-LEC selection last season. Joining Gavin on defense will be senior Brian Sexton (Canton, MA), who will team with midfielders senior Chris Gridelli (Woburn, MA), sophomore Chris Antunes (Brockton, MA), senior Adilson DaSilva (Dorchester, MA) and sophomore Danny Levy (Brockton, MA).

"We have also added some very talented freshmen," said O'Donnell. "And that gives us some real depth on our roster."

Among the top first-year players O'Donnell will be looking at are Adrian Gonsalves (Somerset, MA) Chris Freitas (Somerset, MA), Dave Anderson (Sturbridge, MA), Steve Carvalho (New Bedford, MA), Admir DaSilva (New Bedford, MA) and Phil Paiva (Fall River, MA).

Junior Joey Baptista (Taunton, MA) rejoins the squad after a year's absence due to class commitments, while Kevin Silva (New Bedford, MA) also returns after sitting out last season to concentrate on his studies.

O'Donnell is hoping he can find a solid scoring combination from his veterans and newcomers to avoid the problems of last season. UMass Dartmouth (5-13-1 overall) played in nine one-goal games during the 1998 season, posting a 4-5 record with three of those games coming against LEC opponents. The Corsairs managed three LEC victories last season, but UMass Dartmouth fell just short of making a major move up the conference standings. Of UMass Dartmouth's four LEC losses, three were by a one-goal margin.

UMass Dartmouth opens its 18-game schedule with five non-conference games, beginning with Wentworth Institute on Sept. 8. Following games with Mount Ida, Salve Regina, Curry and Worcester State, the Corsairs open their six-game LEC schedule at Western Connecticut on Sept. 15.

There is a lot more riding on the LEC schedule for the 1999 season than just a regular season championship. For the first time this season, the LEC will host a post-season soccer tournament which will not only decide a conference champion, but give that champion an automatic bid into the NCAA Division III tournament.

The Little East Conference coaches picked UMass Dartmouth to finish right where the Corsairs placed last season in a fourth-place tie. UMass Dartmouth received two first-place votes and a total of 34 points, tied with Eastern Connecticut State University.

Defending LEC champion Plymouth State was the pre-season favorite to defend its conference title again in 1999. According to the LEC coaches' pre-season poll, the Panthers earned 68 points and four first-place votes. Keene State and Western Connecticut shared a first place vote each with the Owls taking second in the poll with 56 points followed by Western Connecticut's 42 votes. Rhode Island College (29 pts), Southern Maine (18 pts) and UMass Boston (17 pts) rounded out the pre-season poll.