The men’s soccer team ended its season last week with a loss to the University of Tampa 5-0.
While the team ended the season short of expectations from Head Coach Giuseppe DePalo,who hoped they would win the Sunshine State Tournament, the Sharks had some bright spots throughout the season.
Ten seniors led the team. All 10 made contributions. However, there were standout performances from Aly Hassan, who led the Sharks in goals, points and shots. Team Captain Craig Hennighan led in assists and Tim Taylor, Chris Pruitt and Jacopo Mattaini held down the defense.
The Sharks started out the season weak, going 0-4, but turned things around and finished 8-6-2. This record was good enough for a fifth seed in the Sunshine State Conference tournament.
“A lot of teams in the league that would have started 0-4 would have rolled over,” said DePalo.
Hennighan said that he is proud of the team’s performance.
“This season was an improvement for the men’s soccer program,” he said. “As a team we finished above 500 and stayed in contention for the post season right up to the last game.”
The team recorded a better season than last year, cutting the losses by four. While the Sharks season didn’t end the way they hoped, the team shows promise in the future with an underclassman group led by sophomore goalie Lyle Howe, who replaced injured senior goalie Lorenzo Migliavacca. Midfielder Matthew Ilter brought his clutch goals from high school over to NSU.
DePalo said he looks forward to next season and believes the young team could reach their full potential within the next year or two.
