By John Spinelli
WEST LONG BRANCH – When colleges join a new conference it can take years to adjust to the competition. However, Monmouth University soccer has found its niche in just two. In the 2024 season, both the men’s and women’s teams had one of the best regular seasons in school history. The men have an 8-1-5 record with one game to go before the conference tournament; the women are now 9-2-5 with two games remaining in the regular season.
“The season has honestly been great. We have an experienced group of guys that have built this team for years,” said men’s head coach Robert McCourt, now in his 14th year coaching the Hawks. “College soccer is difficult no matter where you play, but going 4-0-3 in conference play is an achievement. If we win on Saturday, we are the regular season champions.”
The Monmouth Hawks officially joined the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) in 2022, a new cohort of colleges ranging from Boston to Charleston. Monmouth previously played in the tri-state-based Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). The three captains leading the team this year are seniors Eryk Dymora and Olle Brorsson and fifth-year senior Bastian Hatchet, who played on the team during the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2021.
McCourt said “enjoying the moment” has been an important part of the team’s success this fall. “These men are coachable and the chemistry is great. It shows because they hang out on and off the field,” he said.
The men’s team played a near-perfect regular season, ending games with ei- ther a win or draw; its lone loss came to Princeton by just one goal. The Hawks secured a high-profile Ivy League victory Oct. 15 at home on Hesse Field, though, securing a 1-0 win over the University of Pennsylvania; Hatchet scored the lone goal of that match.
Despite this year’s success, the Hawks’ entrance into the new conference two years ago had a rocky start.
“The first year in the CAA, we still had a good team but it was overlooked by the results,” McCourt said. “I noticed the players felt nervous before games. Last year we made improvements but unfortunately, we lost to Hofstra in the finals in overtime. It has certainly been an adjustment. First season we flew three different times for games, which we never did in the MAAC.”
McCourt isn’t ready to look ahead to the NCAA tournament just yet.
“Our goal is to take each game step by step. In the beginning of the year, our goal was to win the regular season title and then focus on the next set of goals,” he said. “I emphasized to them, focus on who we are playing against in every game in the CAA Tournament and then we could talk about the chance of an NCAA run.”
This October has also been memorable for the women’s team, now coached by Kylee Flynn. Flynn took command two years ago from legendary coach Krissy Turner after serving as her assistant. The Hawks also won or tied every game this season, with the lone loss coming to the University of Loyola 1-0 in September. After a mid- season 2-2 tie against Stony Brook Oct. 3. Flynn reflected on the team’s attitude. “I’m honored to lead this group of amazing student-athletes,” Flynn said. “The adversity they faced tonight was unfortunate, but they fought and battled until the last minute to make an incredible comeback. I could not have asked for anything more from them.”
The Hawk’s defense has had a tremendous impact from senior Cassie Coster who is averaging five saves a game. Other seniors have stepped up on defense while, on offense, four underclassmen forwards have scored crucial goals throughout the season.
The Hawks are currently second in the regular season standings.
The article originally appeared in the October 24 – October 30, 2024 print edition of The Two River Times.
