Baseball Basketball Cross Country Football Ice Hockey Soccer Track & Field

Basketball Cross Country Field Hockey Lacrosse Soccer Softball Track & Field

Alumni/Hall of Fame Compliance Facilities Forms SAAC/Champs Life Skills Sports Information Sports Medicine Staff Directory Wallace Civic Center at Fitchburg State College

General Information Intramural Sports Membership Services News Operating Hours Programs




Falcons Kick Up Intensity in '09 Campaign

The Fitchburg State men's soccer team brings a vast amount of intensity into the 2009 season as the Falcons look to turn around a hard luck 2008 campaign under fifth year head coach, Steve Naboicheck.

"Last season was a tough season that could have went either way," said Naboicheck. "With six, one-goal losses, we seemed to lose our intensity, something we have been working hard to maintain throughout the pre-season."

With the new 2009 season approaching, the Falcons will look to its solid core of returning players to keep the intensity at an all-time high. Fitchburg State returns 18 letterwinners from 2008, while adding four newcomers and one transfer. "We have an incredible amount of talent and experience this season," said Naboicheck. "With 18 returning players, there is no reason why we shouldn't have a fantastic season."

Heading the Fitchburg State attack will be the trio of junior Lionso Ventura (Westminster, Mass./Oakmont), sophomore Trevor Higgins (Kittery Point, Maine/Traip Academy) and classmate Brian Mountain (Southwick, Mass./Southwick-Tolland).  All three will serve as major scoring threats for the Falcons, including Ventura, a MASCAC All-Conference second team nominee.

In a solid sophomore season, Ventura ranked second on the team in scoring, posting 11 points on five goals (one-game winner) and one assist. Mountain and Higgins will complete the triple-threat option, has both players netted two scores in their '08 campaigns.

The Falcons bolster several other exciting options on the offensive front, including junior Matt Da Fonte (Norwood, Mass./Norwood) and rookie Jason Pereira (Wilmington, Mass./Wilmington). Da Fonte adds experience to the Fitchburg State attack, while Pereira, who has turned some heads throughout the pre-season, will make a significant impact in just his first collegiate season.

Spearheading the Fitchburg State midfield will be senior, All-Conference honoree Jeffrey Loven (Littleton, Mass./Littleton) and sophomore Kevin Mascary (North Easton, Mass./Oliver Ames). The two have proved to be an unstoppable team in midfield, while adding an offensive presence for the Falcons. Freshman Richie Harvey (Standish, Maine/Bonny Eagle) has also shown a lot of promise throughout the preseason and will round out the Falcons midfield stoppers.

On the wings, Fitchburg State holds both an incredible skill set and lightning fast speed with the duo of sophomore Danny Bolam (Fletcher, Vt./BFA Airfax) and Robbie Pacini (Stoneham, Mass./Stoneham). This year, the two will look to add to the fire from the outside after posting six points last season on one goal and four assists. Junior Joseph Daigle (Holyoke, Mass./Holyoke) and local freshman Jonathan Diaz-Atto (Fitchburg, Mass./Fitchburg) will also provide some depth on the Falcon wings.

The Falcons are looking strong defensively this season due to the wealth of experience returning to the backfield. Anchoring the defense will be sophomore Brian Bettencourt (Norton, Mass./Norton) who logged numerous minutes throughout his 14-game rookie season. Classmate Griscom Widing (Kingston, Mass./Silver Lake) also saw significant playing time at the central defender spot last season, appearing in all 17 contests under the tutelage of All-Conference recipient, Jude Connelly. Adding to the defensive mix will be senior Dan Powers (Pepperell, Mass./North Middlesex) who is making the transition to the defensive side after appearing in 11 games last season as a midfielder. 

Anchoring the Fitchburg State defense between the pipes will be senior Matt Carey (Stratford, Conn./Bunnell). Carey had a remarkable 2008 season for the Falcons, starting all 17 contests while logging 1583 minutes. The senior captain registered a 1.99 goals against average, stopping 96 shots en route to two shutouts. Classmate Alex Ivanov (Carlisle, Mass./Concord-Carlisle) has also transitioned nicely for the Falcons, serving has back-up keeper in his first season on the field.

Fitchburg State kicks off the 2009 schedule with five, non-conference battles, including its season-opener on September 1st at Gordon College. The Falcons will open MASCAC Conference play on September 19th at Worcester State College, before returning home the following weekend to host Salem State.

This season, the MASCAC Conference is very competitive with Framingham State leading the Men's Soccer Pre-Season Poll. "There are no bad teams in the league," said Naboicheck. "Every game will be a battle, but our goal for the season is to be in the hunt and compete for the MASCAC playoffs."