PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State men's soccer team will kick off its 2025 campaign on the road, taking on Manhattanville at 3 p.m. on Friday, August 29.

The Cardinals are coming off an impressive 11-2-5 season, including a 6-2-1 mark in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) play, under the guidance of eighth-year head coach Chris Taylor. The team began the year with a 6-0-3 record, remaining unbeaten through their first nine games for the second consecutive season. They closed out the year with a 5-2-2 stretch, earning the No. 4 seed in the SUNYAC playoffs and hosting a postseason game for the first time since 2019. Their playoff run came to an end in a penalty shootout loss to SUNY New Paltz.

The 2025 squad returns a strong core but will need to replace several key players from its graduating class of five seniors. Most notably, the team will be without three-time All-Conference and two-time All-Region selection Brian Coughlan, as well as four-time All-Conference and 2025 All-Region honoree John Hayes. To bolster the roster, the Cardinals will welcome 13 newcomers eager to make their mark in 2025.

"We are excited to see what this new team of Plattsburgh Soccer can do," said head men's soccer coach Chris Taylor. "We have lost a significant number of experienced players over the last two years, and this team feels new. We have a lot of talented young players, but with the addition of some quality transfers and strong senior leadership, we hope to see an exciting team. It will take us a little while to find the right balance and the right combinations, but we want to hit the ground running and start the season as we mean to go on. There will be a lot of early tests for this team, and we need to have the resilience and competitive hunger to find results, while also trying to mesh as a team. We will need some newcomers to step up right away and be impactful, but we will be leaning on our core of experienced players to help us navigate the season."

Forwards

The forward group features a young and talented unit, with juniors Tristan Laundree (Keeseville, N.Y./AuSable Valley) and Xavier Kamba (Nyack, N.Y./Nyack) set to lead the offensive charge for the Cardinals. Laundree tallied three goals and two assists last season, while Kamba contributed five goals and four assists.

Also returning for the Cardinals are sophomores Ryan Shalvey (Blauvelt, N.Y./Tappan Zee), who appeared in seven games and scored two goals, and John Gibbons (Garden City, N.Y./Garden City), who played in five matches during the 2024 campaign.

Plattsburgh State has added to its attack with four new forwards for the 2025 season: Mason Brown (Cadyville, N.Y./Saranac), Robbie Kapovic (Dix Hills, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills East), Gabriel Moscheni (Lynbrook, N.Y./Lynbrook), and Rocco Ruscitto (Rye Neck, N.Y.). This group adds depth and promise to what should be an exciting offensive lineup.

Midfielders

Jake McGowan (Warwick, N.Y./Warwick Valley) will lead the Plattsburgh State midfield group in 2025, returning with the third-most minutes played among all returners after starting 15 games last season. Senior Santiago Vargas (Bethpage, N.Y./Bethpage), who started 10 matches and recorded five assists, and senior Danny Perry, who started eight games, are both expected to take on increased roles this year.

Also returning to the midfield are senior Mariano Marra (Ossining, N.Y./Ossining), junior Michael Rodriguez (Jefferson Valley, N.Y./Lakeland), and sophomores Aaron Cohen (Bloomingburg, N.Y./Pine Bush) and Alex Guevara (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Walter Panas), all of whom bring valuable experience and depth to the unit.

The Cardinals will further strengthen the midfield with the addition of several newcomers: Cris Arias (Riverhead, N.Y./Riverhead), Jack Egan (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa), Nicholas Espitia (Bay Shore, N.Y.), Declan Gallagher (LaGrangeville, N.Y./Arlington), Davis Lopez (Brentwood, N.Y./Brentwood), Garfield Gillespie (Bohemia, N.Y./Connetquot), and Sebastian Ruiz (Brentwood, N.Y./Brentwood). Together, they round out a deep and versatile midfield group for the upcoming season.

Defenders

Plattsburgh's defense will look to fill just one starting spot from last season, returning a strong and experienced core. Senior Randall Ashong (Nungua, Ghana/Arlington) and sophomore Jack Murphy (Blauvelt, N.Y./Tappan Zee) lead the group, logging the most minutes among all returners last year and starting every game they appeared in. Senior Tony Kochelev (Staten Island, N.Y./Curtis) will play a key role at outside back after starting in eight of the 13 games he played last season.

Additional experience on the back line comes from seniors Colter-Cheney Seymour (Saranac Lake, N.Y./Northwood School) and Justin Siegel (Plainview, N.Y./Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK), along with sophomore Lucas Arbelaez (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Somers), all of whom will provide valuable depth and versatility.

The Cardinals also add one new face to the defensive unit: transfer Florian Fuchs (Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany/Kaufmännische Schulen Offenburg), who looks to make an immediate impact in 2025.

Goalkeepers

With the departure of Teddy Healy, the Cardinals' starting goalkeeper spot will be up for grabs in 2025. Sophomore Matthew D'Ippolito (Baldwin Place, N.Y./Somers) is the lone returning goalkeeper, having appeared in four games and made one start last season.
He'll be joined in the competition by transfer Andrew Moulton (Waterford, N.Y.) and newcomer Logan Verissimo (West Babylon, N.Y./West Babylon Senior), both of whom will look to make their mark and challenge for the starting role.