Thursday, August 24
West Point, NY
5:00 PM
Air Force Academy
at
Army
Falcon Men's Soccer Opens 2023 Campaign at Army
8/23/2023 11:36:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Air Force will take on Army and Seton Hall over the weekend
GAME 01 & 02
AIR FORCE at ARMY WEST POINT
Thursday, August 24, 7 p.m. ET
Malek Stadium at Clinton Field, West Point, New York
AIR FORCE at SETON HALL
Sunday, August 27, 7 p.m. ET
Owen T. Carroll Field, South Orange, New Jersey
CLEAR FOR TAKE OFF
The 2022 Western Athletic regular season champion Falcons open the 2023 campaign with a two-game road stint, kicking off the season at service academy rival Army West Point, Thursday (Aug. 24), and Seton Hall on Sunday (Aug. 27).
LAST TIME THEY PLAYED
The last time the Falcons and Black Knights squared off was in 2019 at Army. Air Force claimed the rivalry victory, 2-1. AF team captain Luke Hill is the only active Falcon to have played against Army. The Black knights lead the all-time series, 16-10-4; however, Air Force has won four of the last five meetings.
The last time AF met with Seton Hall was in the belated 2020 NCAA Championship first round, played on May 2 in South Orange. The Pirates bested the Falcons, 2-1. Falcon senior team captain Thaddaeus Dewing was the man to notch the goal for the AF. Air Force is 0-2 in the all-time series with Seton Hall.
UP NEXT
The Falcons return to the Academy for the first of a four-match home stint, taking on 2022 Sweet 16 squad Western Michigan on Thursday (Aug. 31). Air Force wraps up the weekend hosting Sacramento State on Sunday (Sept. 3). The matches are slated for 7 p.m. and 1 p.m., respectively, at Cadet soccer Stadium.
LEADING FROM THE FRONT
The Falcons named three team captains for the 2023 campaign. Thaddaeus Dewing leads from the forward position while Luke Hill and Federico Mion captain the midfield and backfield, respectively.
DEWING THE JOB
Air Force senior forward Thaddaeus Dewing captured 2023 WAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year accolades coming off a standout season for the Falcons. Dewing was a first-team all-conference performer representing top-seeded Air Force in 2022, ranking second in the WAC with 11 goals, 26 total points and 1.53 points per match. Dewing added six goals and 16 points across nine conference starts a season ago.
DEFEND THE TURF
The Falcons vehemently defend their home turf, going 44-10-3 (.800) while playing at home in the last five seasons. In 2018, the Falcons were perfect at home (10-0) for the first time in program history. In 2017, Air Force won a program-best 11 home matches, going 11-1 on the home pitch for the campaign.
PRESEASON WAC
Defending conference tournament champion California Baptist was unanimously chosen as the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) preseason favorite in the 2023 WAC Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll that was released on Thursday afternoon.
California Baptist received the maximum eight first-place votes and 64 voting points to enter the season based on polling of the WAC's nine men's soccer head coaches. San José State placed second with one first-place vote and 49 points. Air Force (47 points), Seattle U (46 points) and Grand Canyon (37 points) rounded out the top five teams in the predicted order of finish.
California Baptist senior defender Thomas Beecham was voted the 2023 WAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Beecham was named to the All-WAC First Team and all-tournament team for the conference tournament winning Lancers in 2022, starting 20 games as a junior for CBU. Beecham helped lead CBU to the best goals against average in the conference (0.94) and the second-fewest total goals allowed (20) across all matches involving WAC teams last season.
San José State graduate student David Sweeney was chosen as the 2023 WAC Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year entering his final season with the Spartans. Sweeney was a second-team all-league choice as a senior in 2022 after compiling a 10-5-4 mark and a .988 goals against average in 19 starts. Sweeney led all WAC goalkeepers with eight solo shutouts and a 0.42 shutouts per match average last season.
San José State led all WAC teams with four players on the 2023 preseason all-conference team, followed by three players each from California Baptist and Utah Valley. Air Force and Grand Canyon were also represented.
LAST SEASON IN A NUTSHELL
Men's Soccer finalized the 2022 campaign as the Western Athletic Conference regular season champions, recording an 8-6-3 overall record with a 7-1-1 mark in the league. The feat marks the Falcons' third WAC regular season title since 2017. Air Force head coach Doug Hill and senior defender London Aghedo were tabbed the WAC Coach of the Year and WAC Defensive Player of the Year, respectively. Aghedo and junior Thaddaeus Dewing were selected to the WAC All-Conference first-team while seniors Jacob Angeletti and Elijah Bussey received all-conference second-team nods.
AGHEDO GOES PRO
Air Force graduated team captain London Aghedo was selected to FC Cincinnati with the 80th overall pick in the 2023 MLS Super Draft. Aghedo was tabbed the WAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2022, and won First-Team All-WAC honors on three occasions. He is the fourth Falcon to go pro since 2019, preceded by Tristan Trager ('21, Atlanta United), Tucker Bone ('19, CS Switchbacks), and Austin Dewing ('19, CS Switchbacks).
THE NEW GUYS
Jeremy Abrams
Hometown: Elliot City, Maryland Previous School/Club: Pipeline SC
Jeremy joins USAFA from Elliot City, Maryland where he was a pivotal player for Pipeline SC 2022 ECNL National Championship run. Abrams who was a High School All American and the 2022 Baltimore All Metro Team will bring good size, ball striking ability, and aerial presence in the back.
Seni Akinola
Hometown: Potters Bar, United Kingdom Previous School/Club: St. Edmund's College/Hitchin Town
Seni brings a wide array of international playing experience to the Air Force Academy. His career began in London, where he played for St. Edmunds College as well as Hitchin Town FC which competes in the non-league division of English Football. Seni is a very technical and attack minded outside back who has the ability to take players on and is also a shutdown 1v1 defender. Seni's versatility will be an incredible asset to our defensive line.
Will Collins
Hometown: Buford, Georgia Club: Atlanta Fire United
Will was a two-sport standout at North Gwinnett High in Buford, Georgia. He is a two-time all-region football player and a two-time all-state soccer player. Collins also was a three-year starter in net and received All Region and All State honors. Collins is a big, strong, hardworking GK who has an uncanny ability to make saves. He is excited to start his career at AFA and wants to become a future pilot.
Austin Ochander
Hometown: Bend, Oregon Previous School/Club: Washington Timbers FC
Austin is a goalkeeper from Bend, Oregon who played for the Washington Timbers FC ECNL team. Austin was a four-year starter and team captain who helped lead his Timbers team to a 2nd place finish in the ECNL Northwest division.
Austin is a natural born leader and has a great presence on the field. Prior to coming to AFA, Austin spent a year playing in Spain with Eture Sports. Austin is going to be a great addition to our already strong group of goalkeepers.
Tyler Kato
Hometown: Ann Arbor, Michigan Previous School/ Club: Michigan Wolves Tyler comes to AFA from Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he was an integral piece of a very successful Michigan Wolves team that competed in MLS Next. Tyler is one of the more technical players on the team, he is very creative on the ball and has the ability to strike the ball with both feet. We are very excited about the unique characteristics Tyler will bring to our midfield.
Aidan Grubbs
Hometown: Palmetto, Florida Club: Clear Water Chargers
Aidan was a captain and top player for four years for his Clearwater Chargers MLS Next team. He is an attacking player that will put a lot of pressure on any defense. Aiden also is extremely technical and has great pace and vision. Prior to coming to AFA, Aidan spent a semester playing in Spain with Eture Sports. There he made quite an impression on his teammates and coaches. We are very excited about Aidan and the contributions he will make to our program.
Logan Zaa
Hometown: Honolulu, Hawaii Club: Hawaii Rush
Logan comes to USAFA from Honolulu where he was a dangerous striker and outside midfielder for Hawaii Rush. He is a fast and aggressive player that has a nose for the goal. Logan is a 6x Hawaii State Cup Champion, he also won a Far West Regional Championship on top of also winning a USL Academy Cup Championship. Logan brings a wealth of winning experience and is an individual who we are very excited about adding to our attack.
Sean Flynn
Hometown: Gilbert, Arizona Club: FC Del Sol
Sean comes to AFA from Gilbert, Arizona, where he played for the SC Del Sol Academy in MLS Next. Sean is a very versatile player who can play multiple positions on the field. Sean possesses all the character traits that we value in our players and our leaders. He is a very skillful player who is bold, brave, and very competitive. Sean is a tireless worker who will be a wonderful addition to the program.
Tyler Bryant
Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri Club: St. Louis Scott Gallagher SC
Tyler comes to USAFA from the prestigious St. Louis- Scott Gallagher MLS Next Academy where he was a defensive midfield standout. Tyler is very calm and composed in possession and is defensively not afraid to get stuck into a tackle. Tyler has great vision and will provide us with depth and strength in the midfield.
AIR FORCE at ARMY WEST POINT
Thursday, August 24, 7 p.m. ET
Malek Stadium at Clinton Field, West Point, New York
AIR FORCE at SETON HALL
Sunday, August 27, 7 p.m. ET
Owen T. Carroll Field, South Orange, New Jersey
CLEAR FOR TAKE OFF
The 2022 Western Athletic regular season champion Falcons open the 2023 campaign with a two-game road stint, kicking off the season at service academy rival Army West Point, Thursday (Aug. 24), and Seton Hall on Sunday (Aug. 27).
LAST TIME THEY PLAYED
The last time the Falcons and Black Knights squared off was in 2019 at Army. Air Force claimed the rivalry victory, 2-1. AF team captain Luke Hill is the only active Falcon to have played against Army. The Black knights lead the all-time series, 16-10-4; however, Air Force has won four of the last five meetings.
The last time AF met with Seton Hall was in the belated 2020 NCAA Championship first round, played on May 2 in South Orange. The Pirates bested the Falcons, 2-1. Falcon senior team captain Thaddaeus Dewing was the man to notch the goal for the AF. Air Force is 0-2 in the all-time series with Seton Hall.
UP NEXT
The Falcons return to the Academy for the first of a four-match home stint, taking on 2022 Sweet 16 squad Western Michigan on Thursday (Aug. 31). Air Force wraps up the weekend hosting Sacramento State on Sunday (Sept. 3). The matches are slated for 7 p.m. and 1 p.m., respectively, at Cadet soccer Stadium.
LEADING FROM THE FRONT
The Falcons named three team captains for the 2023 campaign. Thaddaeus Dewing leads from the forward position while Luke Hill and Federico Mion captain the midfield and backfield, respectively.
DEWING THE JOB
Air Force senior forward Thaddaeus Dewing captured 2023 WAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year accolades coming off a standout season for the Falcons. Dewing was a first-team all-conference performer representing top-seeded Air Force in 2022, ranking second in the WAC with 11 goals, 26 total points and 1.53 points per match. Dewing added six goals and 16 points across nine conference starts a season ago.
DEFEND THE TURF
The Falcons vehemently defend their home turf, going 44-10-3 (.800) while playing at home in the last five seasons. In 2018, the Falcons were perfect at home (10-0) for the first time in program history. In 2017, Air Force won a program-best 11 home matches, going 11-1 on the home pitch for the campaign.
PRESEASON WAC
Defending conference tournament champion California Baptist was unanimously chosen as the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) preseason favorite in the 2023 WAC Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll that was released on Thursday afternoon.
California Baptist received the maximum eight first-place votes and 64 voting points to enter the season based on polling of the WAC's nine men's soccer head coaches. San José State placed second with one first-place vote and 49 points. Air Force (47 points), Seattle U (46 points) and Grand Canyon (37 points) rounded out the top five teams in the predicted order of finish.
California Baptist senior defender Thomas Beecham was voted the 2023 WAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Beecham was named to the All-WAC First Team and all-tournament team for the conference tournament winning Lancers in 2022, starting 20 games as a junior for CBU. Beecham helped lead CBU to the best goals against average in the conference (0.94) and the second-fewest total goals allowed (20) across all matches involving WAC teams last season.
San José State graduate student David Sweeney was chosen as the 2023 WAC Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year entering his final season with the Spartans. Sweeney was a second-team all-league choice as a senior in 2022 after compiling a 10-5-4 mark and a .988 goals against average in 19 starts. Sweeney led all WAC goalkeepers with eight solo shutouts and a 0.42 shutouts per match average last season.
San José State led all WAC teams with four players on the 2023 preseason all-conference team, followed by three players each from California Baptist and Utah Valley. Air Force and Grand Canyon were also represented.
LAST SEASON IN A NUTSHELL
Men's Soccer finalized the 2022 campaign as the Western Athletic Conference regular season champions, recording an 8-6-3 overall record with a 7-1-1 mark in the league. The feat marks the Falcons' third WAC regular season title since 2017. Air Force head coach Doug Hill and senior defender London Aghedo were tabbed the WAC Coach of the Year and WAC Defensive Player of the Year, respectively. Aghedo and junior Thaddaeus Dewing were selected to the WAC All-Conference first-team while seniors Jacob Angeletti and Elijah Bussey received all-conference second-team nods.
AGHEDO GOES PRO
Air Force graduated team captain London Aghedo was selected to FC Cincinnati with the 80th overall pick in the 2023 MLS Super Draft. Aghedo was tabbed the WAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2022, and won First-Team All-WAC honors on three occasions. He is the fourth Falcon to go pro since 2019, preceded by Tristan Trager ('21, Atlanta United), Tucker Bone ('19, CS Switchbacks), and Austin Dewing ('19, CS Switchbacks).
THE NEW GUYS
Jeremy Abrams
Hometown: Elliot City, Maryland Previous School/Club: Pipeline SC
Jeremy joins USAFA from Elliot City, Maryland where he was a pivotal player for Pipeline SC 2022 ECNL National Championship run. Abrams who was a High School All American and the 2022 Baltimore All Metro Team will bring good size, ball striking ability, and aerial presence in the back.
Seni Akinola
Hometown: Potters Bar, United Kingdom Previous School/Club: St. Edmund's College/Hitchin Town
Seni brings a wide array of international playing experience to the Air Force Academy. His career began in London, where he played for St. Edmunds College as well as Hitchin Town FC which competes in the non-league division of English Football. Seni is a very technical and attack minded outside back who has the ability to take players on and is also a shutdown 1v1 defender. Seni's versatility will be an incredible asset to our defensive line.
Will Collins
Hometown: Buford, Georgia Club: Atlanta Fire United
Will was a two-sport standout at North Gwinnett High in Buford, Georgia. He is a two-time all-region football player and a two-time all-state soccer player. Collins also was a three-year starter in net and received All Region and All State honors. Collins is a big, strong, hardworking GK who has an uncanny ability to make saves. He is excited to start his career at AFA and wants to become a future pilot.
Austin Ochander
Hometown: Bend, Oregon Previous School/Club: Washington Timbers FC
Austin is a goalkeeper from Bend, Oregon who played for the Washington Timbers FC ECNL team. Austin was a four-year starter and team captain who helped lead his Timbers team to a 2nd place finish in the ECNL Northwest division.
Austin is a natural born leader and has a great presence on the field. Prior to coming to AFA, Austin spent a year playing in Spain with Eture Sports. Austin is going to be a great addition to our already strong group of goalkeepers.
Tyler Kato
Hometown: Ann Arbor, Michigan Previous School/ Club: Michigan Wolves Tyler comes to AFA from Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he was an integral piece of a very successful Michigan Wolves team that competed in MLS Next. Tyler is one of the more technical players on the team, he is very creative on the ball and has the ability to strike the ball with both feet. We are very excited about the unique characteristics Tyler will bring to our midfield.
Aidan Grubbs
Hometown: Palmetto, Florida Club: Clear Water Chargers
Aidan was a captain and top player for four years for his Clearwater Chargers MLS Next team. He is an attacking player that will put a lot of pressure on any defense. Aiden also is extremely technical and has great pace and vision. Prior to coming to AFA, Aidan spent a semester playing in Spain with Eture Sports. There he made quite an impression on his teammates and coaches. We are very excited about Aidan and the contributions he will make to our program.
Logan Zaa
Hometown: Honolulu, Hawaii Club: Hawaii Rush
Logan comes to USAFA from Honolulu where he was a dangerous striker and outside midfielder for Hawaii Rush. He is a fast and aggressive player that has a nose for the goal. Logan is a 6x Hawaii State Cup Champion, he also won a Far West Regional Championship on top of also winning a USL Academy Cup Championship. Logan brings a wealth of winning experience and is an individual who we are very excited about adding to our attack.
Sean Flynn
Hometown: Gilbert, Arizona Club: FC Del Sol
Sean comes to AFA from Gilbert, Arizona, where he played for the SC Del Sol Academy in MLS Next. Sean is a very versatile player who can play multiple positions on the field. Sean possesses all the character traits that we value in our players and our leaders. He is a very skillful player who is bold, brave, and very competitive. Sean is a tireless worker who will be a wonderful addition to the program.
Tyler Bryant
Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri Club: St. Louis Scott Gallagher SC
Tyler comes to USAFA from the prestigious St. Louis- Scott Gallagher MLS Next Academy where he was a defensive midfield standout. Tyler is very calm and composed in possession and is defensively not afraid to get stuck into a tackle. Tyler has great vision and will provide us with depth and strength in the midfield.
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