SUFFOLK vs EMMANUEL
Date Time Venue Video Stats Program Series Last Meeting   Last Suffolk Win Streak	Friday, Aug. 30 3:00 PM James A. Sartori Stadium East Boston Memorial Park East Boston, Mass. CNE Network GoSuffolkRams.com GoSuffolkRams.com 12-8-1 Sept. 1, 2023, W, 3-1 Same W1

BOSTON – Suffolk men's soccer's 2024 debut features a city clash with Boston rival Emmanuel Friday, Aug. 31. Kick-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. at East Boston Memorial Park's James A. Sartori Stadium. 

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RAPID REWIND
The 2023 Suffolk men's soccer season has found its way into the Rams record book as one of the top five most successful of all times. 

Suffolk received votes in the United Soccer Coaches national poll for the first time in program history, where the blue-and-gold stayed for three weeks, and was a staple in the regional rankings since it made the program debut, Sept. 12, 2023.  

Against conference competition, the Rams went 4-2-2 to lock up the fourth-seed in the postseason where Suffolk handled fifth-seed Endicott, 1-0, in the first round before falling a penalty kick shy of reaching the conference championship for the second straight season.  

Rams shined along the way with seven all-conference honorees, six of who return in Matthew Belluardo (first-team), Jack Phelps (first-team), Brady Sorensen (first-team), Taj Jensen (third-team), Tommy Handelsman (third-team) and Diego Pierantozzi (third-team). The seven selections are the most in a single season in Suffolk men's soccer history, surpassing the previous mark of five set by the 2022 and 2016 teams, respectively.  

Regionally, Sorensen earned a United Soccer Coaches All-Region II Second-Team nod, his second such distinction in as many years making him the first-ever Ram to have multiple region awards on their resume in program history.  

RAMS ROOKIES
Suffolk men's soccer's 2024 roster will feature fresh faces as head coach Bill Maddock brought in eight recruits over the offseason.  

The group is evenly split between true freshmen – Ian Caldwell, Christian Gardner, Javen Ironside and Dylan Trachtenberg – and transfers in Faisal Bajunaid, Dan Colbert, Koki Matsuwaki and Niklas Nilsson. 
Position wise, there are four midfielders, two defensemen, one forward and one goaltender. 

MORE READING: Men's Soccer Adds Eight to Roster in 2024

TRANSITIONING TRANSFERS
Of the eight fresh faces, half have collegiate experience under their belt in transfers Faisal Bajunaid (Merrimack), Dan Colbert (St. Michael's), Koki Matsuwaki (Lasell) and Niklas Nilsson (Colorado). 

CLASS CATEGORIES
Suffolk's 39-player roster is upperclassmen heavy led by a 14-member senior class, followed by 10 juniors and four grad students. That group is complimented by seven sophomores and four true freshmen.

POSITION PLAUDITS
Position wise, Bill Maddock assembled a 39-player roster with depth at every spot on the field. There are 16 midfields, 15 defensemen, five forwards three sets of goalie gloves.  

GEOGRAPHY 101
Suffolk's 39-man roster is comprised of national and international student-athletes.  

Nearly 90 percent of the Rams are from the states with 10 Massachusetts locals. Eight student-athletes came up the coast from Florida. Four came way of Connecticut with a pair of Granite State products. Alaska, California, George, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia and Utah are represented by one Ram apiece. 

Internationally, student-athletes brought their talents to Boston from Andorra, Bermuda, England, Japan and Saudi Arabia. 

RAMS RINGLEADERS
Taj Jensen and Jack Phelps will return to their roles as Suffolk men's soccer captains for the 2024 season, head coach Bill Maddock unveiled. 

MORE READING: Jensen, Pehlps Return as Men's Soccer Captains in 2024

COACH'S CORNER
Bill Maddock is set for his fifth season, fourth full competition campaign, at Suffolk after leading the Rams back onto the pitch and into the CCC after a year sidelined due to COVID-19. 

The head coach has a heap of help on the bench in 2024. Assistant coach Juan Gonzalez returns to the fold for his sixth year with the program, fifth on Maddock's staff, while  Danny O'Neill is back for his third season. Assistant Coach Jose Meza is back for his second season and along with Goalkeeper's Coach Kyle Tremblay. 

OPENING ACT 

• Since 2002, the Rams are 13-7-1 in the first test of the year.
• Suffolk won its third straight season opener a year ago, a 3-1 win over Emmanuel in 2023.
• Suffolk has opened its season in the win column each of the last three seasons. It is the most season-opening wins in a row since the Rams began seven straight seasons with victories from 2004 through 2010. 
• Suffolk will play at home for its season debut for the first time since 2022. The Rams are 8-2-0 when opening the curtain on their campaign in front of their home crowd since 2002. 
• On the road, the Rams sport a 5-5-1 record in game one dating back to 2002. 
• The Rams have locked up a victory in game one of the season in shutout fashion five times since 2002, including the 2021 opener, a 4-0 triumph over Mass. Maritime. Four of those five cleansheets have come on Suffolk's home pitch.
• On the flip side of things, Suffolk has been kept off the scoreboard twice in game one. Framingham State is the last opponent to hold the blue-and-gold scoreless in the season debut, doing so in 2014 by a 4-0 margin.
• Suffolk has needed extra time to determine an outcome in the first contest of the year twice since 2002. In that span, the Rams are 0-1-1 in game one OT outings.
• The blue-and-gold is unbeaten in game one under Bill Maddock's guidance, 3-0-0.
• In the Maddock era, Suffolk has outscored its foes 9-2 in the first outing of the year.
• The Rams will tangle with Emmanuel in the first game of the season for the second time and second time in as many years. Suffolk is undefeated, 1-0-0, in game one versus the Saints.  

PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
Following one of the most successful seasons in program history, Suffolk men's soccer has been slotted to finish second in the Conference of New England's Preseason Coaches' Poll.

MORE READING: Men's Soccer Selected Second in CNE Coaches Preseason Poll

SAINT SAYINGS
Emmanuel men's soccer will turn a page into a new era as its winningest coach Dan Roberts stepped down after last season, in which the Saints finished 6-11-1 overall and 5-8-1 versus GNAC foes and John Shimer took over the program over the summer. 

Nearly 70 percent of the Saints' 20-goal offense is back led by Joe Anderson, who led the way a year ago with nine points on a team-best four goals and one helper. Richi Hickson (1g, 2a), Joey Soucy (2g), RJ Darrell (1g, 1a) and Seiki Thasith Jamnongnorawut (1g, 1a) contributed mutlipled points to Emmanuel's scoring unit in 2023 as well. 

All of Emmanuel's netminders are back on roster including usual starter Maddox Pierce, who assembled a 1.47 GAa and 0.740 save percentage in 17 games, all starts. Pierce went 6-10-1 overall with five shutouts to his credit. Isaiah Etienne put together a 2.00 GAA and 0.677 save percentage in his lone appearance last season, a 2-1 loss to Eastern Nazarene. Sophomore Aristidis Stefanis rounds out the goaltending contingent to add depth in between the pipes. 

INSIDE THE SERIES

• The Suffolk, Emmanuel series dates back to 2002.
• The Rams trail the all-time series, 11-9-1.
• Suffolk last met the Saints  in the 2023 opener, Sept. 1, 2023, and won, 3-1. 
• Last year's victory over Emmanuel snapped a four-game skid versus the Saints.
• Three contests have needed extra time to determine a winner between Suffolk and Emmanuel. The Rams hold a 2-0-1 record in OT against the Saints.
• The last and only draw between the foes came via a 1-1, double overtime decision Oct. 7, 2017.
• Four contests have been cleansheets in the series. Suffolk is 3-1-0 when one team is kept off the scoreboard when playing Emmanuel.
• At home, Suffolk holds a 6-5-0 mark versus the Saints.
• On the road the Rams are 6-3-1 against Emmanuel.
• The blue-and-gold is 1-2-0 versus Emmanuel with Bill Maddock on the bench. 

MORE INFO: Suffolk vs. Emmanuel – All-Time Series 

BY THE NUMBERS

SUFFOLK'S SCHEDULE
The Rams wrap up Labor Day weekend at Brandeis Sunday, Sept. 1 at 1:00 p.m.