Men’s Soccer Opens Up 2008 Season with Exhibition Tie

By Steven A. Faulks

Seton Hall University Men’s Soccer got the 2008 season started with a 1-1 tie against Lehigh in an exhibition contest last Tuesday at Owen T. Carroll Field.

For Seton Hall fans this has to be exciting news as, at least, this means that the regular season is about to start. However, at the end of last season, expectations and hopes for a return to the NCAA tournament were very realistic. Seton Hall had an emerging, playmaking freshman in Brayan Martinez, who dominated New Jersey High School Soccer while studying in West Orange, NJ. The Pirates squad also had a goalkeeper who was establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with in the Big East. Seton Hall also had one of the most prolific goal scorers in the nation in the very energetic Eliseo Guisfredi.

Guisfredi, in three years, at Seton Hall had scored 29 goals as a Pirate. His ten scores last season, was 33 percent of the team's overall offense. However, in early February rumors started to circle around the international soccer scene that Guisfredi might be taking his skills overseas to play professionally in Europe.

And then the dreadful news for the Pirates became official. Eliseo Guisfredi, one of the best offensive players in the Big East, had signed a deal to join Spartak Moscow of the Russian Premier League. Suddenly the Pirates were missing a third of their offense. Suddenly, a team that at times struggled to score goals last year was now lacking even more punch.

With Guisfredi departed for whereabouts unknown, head coach Manfred Schellsheidt, entering his 23rd season leading the blue and white, will have to look to two sophomore forwards to make up for Guisfredi’s absence. Andrew Welker, from Cumberland Valley, PA, scored five goals last year as a freshman. Dritan Sela, the other sophomore, comes from Wayne High School. Sela has the ability to put the ball in the back of the net. He had four last year as a first year player at Seton Hall. In high school, Sela scored 17 goals in 17 games, so be tween the two the offense is in young, but the potential for some punch is there.

Also in his second season at Seton Hall is Brayan Martinez, who was a Gatorade Soccer Player of the Year in his senior season at West Orange High School. Last year as a freshman, Martinez had 4 goals and 4 assists. Not bad for a first year starter, who is the best attacking midfielder the Pirates have seen since Olympian Sacha Klejstan left for Major League Soccer after the 2005 season.

Between the three, the Pirates should be able to generate enough opportunities to get shots at the opposition’s target.

A very young defense yielded 2 goals a game last year. Now with each having a season under their belts, the defense should definitely improve. The defense will also get an upgrade when the lone senior on the back line, Yomar Gonzalez, makes his return. Gonzalez only saw action in three games last year, due to season ending injury. He will join sophomore Kurt Cameron as the anchors on Schellsheidt’s back line.

Goalkeeper Paul McHenry is now an upperclassman. McHenry from Ephrata, Pa., went 7-9-1 last year as the main goalie for Seton Hall. He will have to improve on his 1.82 goals against average, if the Pirates want to compete at the top of the Big East Standings.

Highly regarded net minder, Michael Kuzan, from Union High School is waiting in the wings, but this year it is McHenry’s team. Sean Carr, got in 8 games last year for the Pirates, but McHenry is the one who will have to carry the Pirates, if they want to get back to the NCAA tournament, which they haven’t done since the 2005 season.

If Dritan Sela and Andrew Welker can replace the offense left by the departure of Eliseo Guisfredi, then the Pirates can compete. Brayan Martinez will continue his development, and will put on a show for fans during games, displaying the skills that make him one of the best up and coming attacking midfielders in NCAA soccer. If a young defense can continue to grow and improve and McHenry can become even tougher in the net, the Pirates are set up to have a promising season in South Orange.



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