Men's Soccer Begins 2021 Season at UMBC
Colonials set for ninth season under Head Coach Craig Jones
2/12/2021
Returning to the pitch for the first time in more than 15 months, GW men's soccer is set to kick off the spring 2021 season on Saturday with a trip to UMBC for a 4 p.m. start at Retriever Soccer Park.
The Colonials enter their ninth season under Head Coach Craig Jones with a revamped roster that features 12 newcomers joining 13 returners as they look to secure a spot at the four-team Atlantic 10 Championship.
As preseason winds down, @jonesydc is encouraged by the resilience and effort of this group. #RaiseHigh pic.twitter.com/OP3tvLFdwM
— GW Men's Soccer (@GWMensSoccer) February 11, 2021
ON THE ATTACK: GW returns two of its top three scorers from the 2019 season in graduate student Sandro Weber and sophomore Liam Emson.
Weber tied for the team lead in his first season in Buff and Blue with three scores, while Emson secured A-10 All-Rookie honors after posting two goals and two assists.
Up top, GW also welcomes back senior Oscar Haynes Brown, who was limited by injuries to one game in 2019 after being named to the All-Conference First Team in 2018. The London, England, native has been a reliable source of offense throughout his career, notching 39 points (17 G, 5 A) in 26 career games.
Matthew Brummet (four starts in 2019) and Carlyle Smart (three starts) are also experienced attacking options, and newcomers like Brandeis transfer Elias Norris (Bethesda, Md.) and Tobias Williams (Carlsbad, Calif.) figure to offer an offensive spark, as well.
IN THE MIDDLE: GW's central midfield also mixes familiar and fresh faces.
Alhaji Turay and Tom Cooklin both made double-digit starts last season, and Grant Barrientos was a regular among the starting 11 as a first-year before missing the 2019 season due to injury. Cameron Mathewson is also back after seeing action in 19 contests over the past two seasons.
First-years Tim Neumann (Daun, Germany) and Carter Humm (Arlington, Va.) are among the newcomers expected to help there.
READY TO DEFEND: GW's strength was in its defense in 2019, recording five clean sheets and a 1.35 goals against average over 17 matches.
Joshua Yurasits is the senior member of the unit, entering the spring with 48 career starts and 4,255 total minutes played in Buff and Blue, and Ryan Cedeno is back after playing in 14 contests as a first-year, including all five shutouts.
GW has added to its defensive depth with a pair of international center backs in first-year Aaron Kronenberg (Lindlar, Germany) and graduate student Hrólfur Sveinsson (Hafnarfjordur, Iceland), plus local product Christian Rader, a first-year out of Middleburg, Va.
BETWEEN THE PIPES: In net, Justin Grady returns after gaining valuable experience as a first-year with eight appearances in 2019. The Wyncote, Pa., native notched three shutouts, including back-to-back blankings of Liberty and Brown to earn the A-10 Defensive Player of the Week award on Sept. 16, 2019. He made 26 saves against eight goals allowed for the season.
Grady is joined by a pair of new additions to the keeper group in Hofstra transfer Duncan Wegner (Apex, N.C.) and Miles O'Reilly (London, England).
As we begin an unprecedented season, consistency will be key, according to @jonesydc. #RaiseHigh pic.twitter.com/m51C77e13r
— GW Men's Soccer (@GWMensSoccer) February 12, 2021
