WASHINGTON, Pa. -- The Washington & Jefferson College men's soccer team looks to continue its winning ways in 2021 after capturing Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) regular season and PAC Tournament titles in 2019. W&J kicks off its title defense Saturday, March 13 at Westminster.
 
2019 Season Review: The Presidents navigated the 2019 conference slate without suffering a loss (7-0-1), earning the PAC's top overall seed for the first time since 2011.
 
In the PAC Tournament, W&J was pushed to its limits in the PAC semifinal against fourth-seeded Grove City. Leading 1-0 for nearly 60 minutes, Grove City scored in the final minute of regulation to force overtime. In double overtime, Dylan Mayanja fired in a rebounded shot in the 105th minute to send the Presidents to the PAC final.
 
In the conference final, W&J hosted second-seeded Geneva, who boasted the top scoring defense in the PAC. The Presidents put on a show for their home fans at Alexandre Stadium with a 4-2 victory over the Golden Tornadoes.
 
The Presidents qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history and traveled to No. 7 John Carroll in the first round. The nationally-ranked Blue Streaks ended the Presidents' historic season with a 2-0 defeat.
 
"Last season was no doubt a bit of a roller coaster affair," said 30th year head coach Ian McDonald. "We started off with two great back-to back-wins and then the injury bug that had plagued us the year before, hit hard again. We were forced to field a very young and less experienced squad, we took it on the chin with a five game losing streak. However, instead of accepting the potential fate of the season before, the team stayed focus on its development and cohesiveness, in preparation for the all-important segment of conference play.  That hard work, belief and focus, afforded the team something never done before in our program's history, which is to go undefeated in conference regular and postseason play."
 
W&J boasted the top scoring offense in the PAC (2.41 GPG) and established a new program record with 53 goals. The President offense had four players eclipse 20 points and 13 different players score at least one goal.
 
The Presidents had eight All-PAC performers and Coach McDonald was named the league's coach of the year for the fifth time. Midfielder Alvaro Viadas collected PAC Newcomer of the Year laurels.
 
The Presidents will have to replace both starting outside backs after the graduation of Junior Mensah and Gary Olson. Mensah was a four-year stalwart and three-time All-PAC performer. Olson started 18 games last fall as W&J's right outside back, and his 71st minute goal against Westminster on homecoming helped the Presidents secure a 1-1 tie. Mensah was honored as an All-PAC Second Team selection and Olson was an honorable mention.
 
Viadas returned to Spain after spending a wildly successful 2019 with the Presidents as an exchange student. He registered 24 points on 10 goals and four assists to finish tied for the PAC lead in goals, second in points and eighth in assists. In addition to PAC Newcomer of the Year and All-PAC First Team awards, he was an All-Region pick by the United Soccer Coaches and was named All-ECAC First Team.
 
The Presidents finished the season with a 12-8-2 record and a 7-0-1 conference mark. After tying Westminster in the conference opener, the Presidents won nine-straight games against PAC competition, including the PAC Tournament. The Red and Black scored at least four goals in eight wins, including the PAC final.
 
Team Captains: Samuel Miller, Nicholas Maknoon and Michael Komaniak
 
Position-by-Position Breakdown: The Presidents return a wealth of experience and talent from the 2019 team, including four All-PAC performers.
 
"The returnees as a whole, are all energized and excited to be afforded the opportunity to have a spring season of competition ahead of them and to be reunited with their teammates," said McDonald. "The success of their 2019 season, has without a doubt, fueled their preparation to attempt to repeat and has been evident in the guidance they have afforded our freshmen group to date."
 
Forwards - The Presidents return all two starting forwards from their record-setting 2019 season. Senior Jake Fetterman (Pottstown, Pa./The Hill School), junior Michael Komaniak (Oakmont, Pa./Riverview) and both turned in 20-point seasons and each collected All-PAC Second Team honors.
 
"Jake, as a senior, is glad to be back on campus, with an opportunity to complete his final season and has come back where he left off as a steady and hardworking contributor to the cause," said McDonald. "Mike too, has come back with a high energetic and maturing purpose to his play and a great desire to pick up where he left off in 2019. So much so, it has earned him one of our captaincy positions."
 
Fetterman was named the PAC Tournament's Most Outstanding Player after scoring two goals and handing out an assist in the conference final. He finished second in the PAC in assists (7), tied for fifth in points (21), and tied for seventh in goals (7). Fetterman notched at least one point in each of the final eight games, capped with a season-best five points in the PAC championship game. He scored the lone goal in a 1-0 victory over Grove City to secure the regular season title and earned a PAC Offensive Player of the Week selection.
 
In addition to all-conference recognition, Komaniak earned CoSIDA Academic All-District and PAC All-Tournament team laurels. The sophomore ranked second in the PAC in assists (7) and sixth in points (23) and goals (8). He scored twice in wins over La Roche and Bethany. He blasted in the game-winning goal in the PAC final in the 51st minute off a corner kick from Fetterman.
 
John Appiah (Greenville, S.C.) returns after netting goals against Pitt-Greensburg, Saint Vincent and Waynesburg last fall. Joel Winters (Mockville, Va./Calvary Day School) scored against Pitt-Greensburg.
 
Freshmen Jayden Da (Rockville, Md./Richard Montgomery), Parker Byas (Columbia, Md./Mount Saint Joseph) and Jake Klonowski (Allison Park, Pa./Shaler) join the Presidents' attacking unit in 2021.
 
"While the loss of two of our top goal scorers from 2019 is a reality, I believe we have been able to add some excellent freshmen talent in Da, Klonowski, Byas, assist in that area," said McDonald. "As well as the return of the likes of Fetterman, Komaniak, Feola, Winters, John Appiah to the offensive threat."
 
Midfield - The President boast a deep midfield with a number of proven contributors.
 
Senior Nicholas Maknoon (Alison Park, Pa./Hampton) and sophomore Zach Bowser (Beaver, Pa./Beaver Area) settled into starting roles along with Viadas in 2019.
 
Maknoon started 21 of 22 games and tallied a goal and an assist. Bowser started the final 11 games of the season and was named an All-PAC Honorable Mention. Bowser registered three goals and two assists in his debut season.
 
"The core of our central mid-field is back in Maknoon, Bowser, Davidson and Einolf and is expected to offer stability to that area," said McDonald. "Along with a number of other supporting talent in youngsters, Joseph and Lee."
 
Junior Joey Feola (Carnegie, Pa./Central Catholic) started 10 games and had two goals and one assist last year.
 
Senior Thomas Davidson (Upper Saint Clair, Pa./Upper Saint Clair) and junior Thomas Einolf (Carlisle, Pa./Middletown) battled injury last season and both look to make an impact in 2021. Einolf had a three-point day (1G, 1A) in the opener and added an assist at Bethany.
 
Freshmen McKinley Joseph (Stamford, Conn./King School) and Charles Ugwu (Abuja, Nigeria) look to bolster the midfield. Newcomer Jacob Lee (Honolulu, Hawaii/Iolani School) could contribute in the midfield, as well as up top or along the W&J back line.
 
Defense - The Presidents have been young along the back line for the past two seasons and 2021 looks to pay dividends as W&J returns both center backs and several key reserves.
 
Junior Quinn Pickering (Camp Hill, Pa./Camp Hill) and sophomore Colin Martincic (Bridgeville, Pa./South Fayette) manned the central defensive spots last fall. Martincic started 21 games in his debut season while Pickering has 34 starts over the last two seasons.
 
"The center back partnership of Pickering and Martincic has continued to mature and provide a more stable foundation to the central defense from 2019," said McDonald.
 
Despite losing both starting outside backs to graduation, the Presidents have capable contributors in junior Jonathan Youse (New Cumberland, Pa./Cedar Cliff) and sophomore Will Keber (Irwin, Pa./Norwin). Youse started 14 games as a freshman and four games in 2019. Keber appeared in 18 games last fall.
 
"The return of Jonathan Youse who missed almost a month of the 2019 season, due to illness, will offer us greater maturity and stability to that wing back position this spring," said McDonald. "Adding to the defensive core is the continued growth and maturing of Will Keber and Jeffrey Wilkinson, who can offer us support in the wide and central defensive spots. The addition to the depth of our back line has be greatly enhanced with the additions of Jake Rajotte, Claude Irankunda and the multi-positional options that Jacob Lee affords us."
 
Newcomers along the W&J back line are freshmen Jake Rajotte (Rocky Hill, Conn./Rocky Hill), Claude Irankunda (Dayton, Ohio/Spring Valley Academy) and Cameron Boley (Washington, Pa./McGuffey).
 
Goalkeeper - The Red and Black ran a true two-goalkeeper system for the majority of 2019, including PAC play and the conference tournament.
 
"The return of Ian Donlon and Sam Miller, who executed an unbelievable tandem performance in the 2019 conference season run, will afford us a very strong defensive potential this season and allow the continued to develop freshmen Thomas Amtower who will offer us added depth in that position," said McDonald.
 
Ian Donlon (Latham, N.Y./Albany Academies) and Samuel Miller (Lewisburg, Pa./Lewisburg) shared W&J's goalkeeping duties, with Donlon typically playing in the first half and Miller manning the net in the second half.
 
Donlon made 17 starts in net, while Miller had five starts and finished 22 games.
 
Donlon snagged All-PAC Honorable Mention status as he finished the year with a 1.20 goals against average and a 76.9% save percentage. The duo of Donlon and Miller combined for three shutouts.
 
Miller made a number of memorable late-season saves. He made a diving stop on a well-placed free kick to preserve a 1-0 Senior Day win over Grove City that secure the regular-season title. Miller also kept the 2019 season alive with a fully-extended redirection of an overtime shot against Grove City in the PAC semifinal.
 
Freshman Thomas Amtower (Boiling Springs, Pa./Cumberland Valley) joins the W&J goalkeeping group in 2021.
 
Newcomers: The Presidents add a 10-man freshman class for the 2020-21 season.
 
"The 2020 Freshmen class could be one of the deepest and potentially most talented we have had in a while," said McDonald. "We are excite to see how quickly they develop and transition to the college game."
 
GK - Thomas Amtower (Boiling Springs, Pa./Cumberland Valley)
D - Cameron Boley (Washington, Pa./McGuffey)
D - Jake Rajotte (Rocky Hill, Conn./Rocky Hill)
F - Jayden Da (Rockville, Md./Richard Montgomery)
M - McKinley Joseph (Stamford, Conn./King School)
M/D - Jacob Lee (Honolulu, Hawaii/Iolani School)
M - Charles Ugwu (Abuja, Nigeria)
F - Jake Klonowski (Allison Park, Pa./Shaler)
M/F - Parker Byas (Columbia, Md./Mount Saint Joseph)
D/M - Claude Irankunda (Dayton, Ohio/Spring Valley Academy)
 
Looking at the Schedule: The Presidents will play a nine-game PAC-only regular season schedule.
 
The Presidents open the season March 13 at Westminster. The Titans were the only squad not to be defeated by W&J in 2019 as the two teams battled to a 1-1 tie in the 2019 PAC opener.
 
Four of the Presidents' first five games are on the road as W&J's road schedule includes Saint Vincent (March 21), Waynesburg (March 31) and Franciscan (April 6) and Grove City in the regular season finale on April 23.
 
The Presidents are scheduled to host Chatham (March 27), Thiel (April 10), Geneva (April 13) and Bethany (April 17).
 
PAC newcomer Franciscan begins its first season as a member in men's soccer. The Barons went 4-0-1 against PAC competition last fall including wins over W&J, Westminster, Bethany and Waynesburg. Franciscan took fourth in the AMCC regular season standings and reached the conference tournament's semifinals.
 
The PAC will sponsor a four-team conference tournament. The top two seeds will hosts semifinals on Tuesday, April 27 with the winners advancing to the championship game on Friday, April 30.
 
Last Word: "As I mentioned earlier, not only was the taste of success the team experienced in 2019 a shot in the arm for the program, alumni and the team members involved," said McDonald. "It was also the character and manner of the journey it took to get there, that I believe will stay the focal point of what is expected and how we move forward game to game this spring."