With the calendar turning over to 2019, let's take a look back at how each Ocean City Nor'easters alumni performed during the 2018 college season. (In alphabetical order)

Michael Barrow (Liverpool, England)
Sophomore – Campbell University (NC)
Ocean City Nor'easters 2018

Barrow made a big impression in his first season at Campbell University. The sophomore defender was a first-team All-Big South Conference and first-team all-state selection by the North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association while playing in every minute (21 games played) and scoring a pair of goals and adding an assist for the Fighting Camels. It was a great season for Campbell as they finished as the No. 4 seed in the Big South tournament, eliminated the regular season champion High Point University in penalty kicks. Barrow was part of a defense that did not allow a single goal during the three-game conference tournament and the Liverpool native helped set up the championship winning goal over Presbyterian, which sent Campbell into the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2007. They would lose their opening game in the tournament on the road against NC State.



Matteo Bennati (Genova, Italy)
Sophomore – Belmont Universty (TN)
(Transferring to Ohio State in 2019)
Ocean City Nor'easters 2018

Bennati followed up his breakthrough freshman season for Belmont with his second straight all-conference selection (this time on the Southern Conference Second Team). He led the team in scoring with 17 points (7 goals, 3 assists) and ranked second on the team in minutes played (1,486) and started every game for the Bruins.

On Jan. 18, it was announced that Bennati would be transferring to Big Ten country where he has enrolled at Ohio State University.



Liam Bennett (Leeds, England)
Sophomore – Louisville
Ocean City Nor'easters 2018

Bennett was part of a Louisville team that made history in the ultra-competitive Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The Cardinals won their first ACC tournament championship, by pulling off three dramatic ones over three of the best teams in the country (No. 18 Notre Dame, No. 1 Wake Forest and No. 4 North Carolina) which punched their ticket to the NCAA tournament for the 11th time in the last 12 years. Louisville earned the No. 4 overall seed and a first round bye, but the Cardinals’ season would come to an end in overtime on the road against Michigan State. Bennett started 14 of the 15 games that he played in during his second season with the program. 

James Brett (Palmyra, NJ)
Senior – Rutgers-Camden
Ocean City Nor'easters 2018

Brett finished his career at Rutgers-Camden as one of the greatest goalkeepers in program history. He wrapped up his senior season with more accolades including being named to the ECAC Division III Second Team, and being named to the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division III Men's All-South Atlantic Region Second Team. He was also named the New Jersey Athletic Conference Goalkeeper of the Year for the second time, and was an all-conference selection for the third time out of his four years at Rutgers-Camden. Brett finished his career second in school history with more than 7,700 minutes played (87 games), 42 wins and shots faced (1,211). He ranks third in school history in saves (450) and fourth in shutouts (18) and finished his career with an impressive 1.19 goals-against average and a .815 save percentage. He led the Raptors to a conference title and a trip to the NCAA tournament in 2015.

Deri Corfe (Chester, England)
Junior – Wright State University
Ocean City Nor'easters 2018

Over the last few years, Wright State had been a winning program. Each year, they seemed to get better and better. This year was the best year yet as the Raiders were nationally-ranked, finished with a 13-3-0 record and advanced to the Horizon League championship game. Unfortunately, they were upset by Illinois-Chicago, and despite being ranked 18th in the country at the time, 13 wins wasn't enough to get Wright State into the NCAA tournament. It was an incredible debut season for Corfe after transferring to Wright State from the University of Rio Grande as he was an all-conference and all-region selection after scoring 10 goals and dishing out eight assists. He also led the team in shots and shots on goal. His biggest game came on Sept. 25 when Corfe scored two goals and had three assists in a 6-2 home win over Duquesne. which was tied for the team lead in scoring with 28 points.

We did say an absolute missile, didn't we? pic.twitter.com/1P9DaZlhAw

— Raider Men's Soccer (@WSU_Mens_Soccer) November 2, 2018

Jackson Crawford (Massillon, OH)
Redshirt Sophomore - Ashland University (Prev: Akron)
Ocean City Nor’easters 2018

Crawford began his college career at Akron where he was part of the 2017 team that reached the College Cup Semifinals. He transferred to Ashland University where he was part of another dramatic season. The Eagles finished the regular season with a 5-9-3 record and earned a 6-seed in the conference tournament. They went on a run in the postseason which saw them knock off three straight teams, win the tournament and punch their ticket to the NCAA tournament for the first time since the program was revived in 2016 after a three-year hiatus. Crawford started 12 of the 17 games he played in scoring a goal and adding an assist. 



Emil Cuello (Orem, UT)
Senior – Southern Methodist University
Ocean City Nor’easters 2016

Cuello was a big part of one of the best seasons in recent memory at SMU last year. What would he do for an encore in his senior year? He put the Mustangs back into the NCAA tournament by scoring the game-winning penalty kick in the American Athletic Conference championship game (He was named the AAC Tournament MVP as a result). It was the second year in a row that he scored the game-winner in the AAC title game. He scored five goals and dished out a team-high seven assists in his final season and was selected to the All-Conference and All-Region Team. His big senior year earned him an invitation to the Major League Soccer Combine and he was later drafted in the first round (19th overall) by the Los Angeles Galaxy.
 


Matt Fahey (Williamstown, NJ)
Sophomore – Rowan University
Ocean City Nor'easters 2018

Fahey was a big part of a winning season for Rowan University in 2018. He started 14 of the 15 games he played in as the Profs finished with a 12-7 record and earned a trip to the NCAA tournament, falling to the No. 1 seed Montclair State. Fahey also dished out one assist during the regular season.

Kyle Gurrieri (Totowa, NJ)
Sophomore – South Carolina
Ocean City Nor'easters 2018

The sport of soccer can be a cruel one sometimes. Kyle Gurrieri made a big impression in his first season for the Nor’easters, scoring a pair of goals in the team’s 3-1 road upset over the Charlotte Independence (USL) in the Second Round of the 2018 US Open Cup. He played in 10 regular season games, and two US Open Cup games, had two assists and was named the Nor’easters’ 2018 Breakthrough Player of the Year. He was experiencing a transition, having transferred from Syracuse University down to SEC country to play for the University of South Carolina. In his first season, however, was cut short. After playing in the preseason and the first two games of the season, he suffered a season-ending injury. Gurrieri continues to rehab and expects to make a full recovery in time for next season.

Safe to say you're in good hands @KyleGurrieri! We're with ya every step of the way on your road to recovery ✊💪#Gamecocks🐔⚽️ #ForeverToThee pic.twitter.com/H8sCukxW4F

— Gamecock M. Soccer (@GamecockMSoccer) September 6, 2018

Stephen Elias (Rye, NY)
Senior – North Carolina State
Ocean City Nor’easters 2017

Stephen wrapped up his senior year at NC State, but played in just three games as the Wolfpack finished with a winning record in the ultra-competitive Atlantic Coast Conference. Outside of playing for the Wolfpack, he also represented the United States at the 2017 Maccabiah Games in Israel, helping Team USA win a gold medal. Elias scored three goals and dished out three assists in the competition.

Pat Fallon (Swarthmore, PA)
Senior – High Point University
Ocean City Nor’easters 2017

Fallon closed out his career at High Point University as being a part of the most successful Panthers team in school history. Fallon only made one appearance (in the team’s first-ever NCAA tournament game), but the Panthers won a second straight Big South regular season title and earned its first trip (an at-large bid, no less) to the NCAA tournament. High Point would host their first tournament game, but would fall to James Madison in the opening round.

Robert Gillin (Marlton, NJ)
Senior – University of Delaware
Ocean City Nor’easters 2017

The Nor’easters Breakthrough Player of the Year from the 2017 season added another exceptional season with the Blue Hens program. Gillin started 16 of Delaware’s 17 games in his senior season and was named to the All-Colonial Athletic Association Third Team for the third year in a row.

Xavier Gladiador (Mataro, Spain)
Junior – Missouri Valley College
Ocean City Nor’easters 2018

Gladiador played a major role in Missouri Valley College's historic season as the Vikings advanced to the national championship game. They would fall short in the title game in a penalty kick shootout and would finish the season ranked No. 2 in the nation with an 18-3-4 record. Gladiador played in (and started) 24 of the team's 25 games and scored four goals (two of them game-winners) and two assists, which was tied for fourth best on the team. His fourth goal of the season was the game-winning goal that sent the Vikings into the national quarterfinals.



Max Hemmings (Wokingham, England)
Senior – Georgia State
Ocean City Nor’easters 2017

Max Hemmings closed out his final season at Georgia State with another fantastic performance. He led the team in scoring (4 goals, 5 assists) and ranked fourth in the conference. That earned him a sport on the All-Sun Belt Conference First Team and the Sun Belt All-Tournament team, as well as the All-Southeast Region Second Team selection. Hemmings’ best performance came against Coastal Carolina on Oct. 28 when he scored two goals and added an assist which was the most single-game points by any player in the conference this season, helping the Panthers beat Coastal Carolina for the first time since 1981. Last year, Hemmings was on the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team, and this year, he was named to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll for his excellent work in the classroom.




Uros Ilic (Nova Pazova, Serbia)
Junior – UC Riverside (Prev: Missouri Valley College)
Ocean City Nor'easters 2018

After being named the NAIA National Player of the Year at Missouri Valley College, Ilic took his game to the next level for his junior season. He joined the Ocean City Nor’easters for the summer of 2018, and then transferred to an NCAA Division I program at the University of California Riverside. He played in 15 games for the Highlanders who finished the season with a sub-.500 record (8-10-2) but made a fantastic run at the end of the season, beating Cal State Fullerton and UC Davis to win the Big West tournament championship and earn a trip to the NCAA tournament. They would fall short in a tight 1-0 loss to the University of the Pacific.



Sam Jones (Cardiff, Wales)
Junior – University of North Carolina
Ocean City Nor'easters 2018

Jones transferred to UNC after two great seasons at Young Harris College where he was an All-Region and an All-Conference selection. Jones was one of the top defenders for the Nor’easters during the 2018 season, but a loaded defensive roster with the Tar Heels allowed him to redshirt for his junior season. UNC was one of the best teams in the country in 2018, finishing with a 14-4-1 record. Unfortunately, the season would end with a narrow loss in the ACC title game, followed by an upset loss to James Madison in the NCAA tournament. 

George Knight (Basingstoke, England)
Junior – Lander University
Ocean City Nor'easters 2018

Knight had another excellent season for Lander University as the Bearcats continue to establish themselves as a power in the Peach Belt Conference under head coach (and Ocean City alum) Lee Squires. In his junior season, Knight played in 19 games (16 starts), scoring three goals, including two game-winners. The Bearcats finished with a 16-2-3 record but lost in the conference tournament final in a penalty kick shootout. Even without a conference title, they earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. After back-to-back shutouts, their season would come to an end in the national quarterfinals, the school’s best postseason run since 2005.



Joe Korb (Cincinnati, OH)
Senior – Akron University
Ocean City Nor'easters 2018

After starting out his career at Mercyhurst College, Korb finished his college career with two solid years with the Akron Zips where the school reached the College Cup Semifinals during his junior year, and this year they advanced all the way to the national championship game. This year, Korb played in 11 games and dished out one assist.

Daniel Kozma (Budapest, Hungary)
Junior – Grand View University (Iowa)
Ocean City Nor’easters 2017

2017 Ocean City Nor’easters team MVP Daniel Kozma continued his outstanding play at the college level as the junior was named to the All-Conference Team for the third year in a row. This year, he anchored the Grand View defense and started 15 of the 16 games he played in while scoring a pair of goals. Kozma was also named a 2018 Daktronics NAIA Men's Soccer Scholar-Athlete.



Jacob Labovitz (Great Falls, VA)
Sophomore - Fairleigh Dickinson University
Ocean City Nor'easters 2018

After winning the Northeast Conference Rookie of the Year as a freshman in 2017, the former Gatorade high school Player of the Year from Virginia added another solid season to his young college career. Labovitz played in 15 games (7 starts) and finished second on the team in scoring with 2 goals and 4 assists. 

Daniel Lasarte (Madrid, Spain)
Redshirt Junior - Fairleigh Dickinson University
Ocean City Nor'easters 2018

Lasarte’s third year at Fairleigh Dickinson saw him continue to be a big role with the Knights. He started 14 of the 17 games he played in, scoring a goal (a game-winner against UAB that earned him the conference’s player of the week award) and dishing out two assists.

Abdul Mansaray (London, England)
Senior – Wilmington University
Ocean City Nor'easters 2018

After leading Wilmington in scoring in his junior season with 10 goals in 2017, Mansaray did not play during the 2018 season. With one year of eligibility left, the Wildcats program is hoping that he comes back for his senior year in 2019 with a renewed fire.

Sean McCormick (Philadelphia, PA)
Sophomore – Holy Family University
Ocean City Nor'easters 2018

Sean McCormick had another great season in his second year with Holy Family. McCormick led the team in scoring with career highs with 4 goals and 4 assists (12 points) and was named to the All-Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) second team. He played in all 18 games for Holy Family starting 16 of them), led the team in shots and game-winning goals (2). McCormick helped the Tigers earn a No. 6 seed in the conference tournament, which was the program’s first postseason appearance since 2013.

James McLaren (London, England)
Junior – Missouri Valley College
Ocean City Nor'easters 2018

McLaren was part of an historic season for Missouri Valley College in 2018 as the Vikings advanced to the national championship game. They would fall short in the title game in a penalty kick shootout and would finish the season ranked No. 2 in the nation with an 18-3-4 record. McLaren played in 18 games (10 starts) for the Vikings

Fredlin Mompremier (Limbe, Haiti)
Senior – Farleigh Dickinson
Ocean City Nor’easters 2017-2018

Fredlin “Fredinho” Mompremier finished his final college season on a positive note as he was named the All-Northeast Conference Second Team. The Haitian native started 11 of the 14 games in the midfield for the Knights and dished out two assists. The 2018 Nor’easter Award winner (and the 2017 Nor’easters Offensive Player of the Year) finished seventh in the NEC in shots per game at 2.21. His talent caught the eye of some pro scouts as the "Haitian Sensation" signed with the Tulsa Roughnecks of the USL Championship.



Todd Morton (West Chester, PA)
Senior – University of Delaware
Ocean City Nor’easters 2017-2018

As a team, it was a disappointing season for the University of Delaware program, but Todd Morton managed to solidify his name in the school’s record books as one of the best goalkeepers to ever put on a Blue Hens uniform. He started 14 games this year and when the Blue Hens defeated the College of Charleston 2-1 in overtime on Sept. 22, he became the school’s all-time wins leader. Despite the difficult season for the Delaware program, Morton’s individual talent is still getting some attention. For their latest goalkeeper rankings, EverybodySoccer.com had Morton ranked No. 1 among all senior goalkeepers in the country, which bodes well as he looks ahead to playing the game he loves at the professional level.



Williams N’Dah (Rome, Italy)
Senior – University of Charleston (WV)
Ocean City Nor'easters 2018

Williams N’Dah, the Nor’easters’ 2018 Defensive Player of the Year, capped off is senior season at the University of Charleston (WV) with a tremendous final campaign. He was the anchor (and captain) of one of the top defensive teams in the country as the Golden Eagles had 15 shutouts and led the nation in goals against average (0.18). N’Dah also contributed on the offensive end of the field, scoring three goals. He would ultimately be named the Mountain East Conference Defensive Player of the Year and would be a first-team all-conference selection. The Golden Eagles finished with an 18-1-2 record, winning the MEC championship and losing their only game in the Third Round of the NCAA tournament against West Chester University by the score of 1-0.

Spencer Patton (Morrisville, PA)
Sophomore – Virginia
Ocean City Nor'easters 2018

Patton was a part of another great season at the University of Virginia, one of the powerhouses of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The team finished 10-4-3 and received an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament, only to fall to No. 13 Notre Dame on the road, 1-0 in overtime. Patton played in nine games in his second year as a defender for the Cavaliers anad team officials are excited for what's in store for him next season as he continues to develop at one of the nation's elite programs.

Simone Raiola (Triuggo, Italy)
Senior - Grand View University (IA)
Ocean City Nor'easters 2018

Raiola had another tremendous season both on the field and in the classroom. For the second year in a row, Raiola was selected as a Google Cloud Academic All-American, and on the field he started all 17 games for the Vikings contributing six goals and four assists. For the third time, Raiola was an all-conference selection, as he was named to the first team for the second year in a row. He finished his college career with 27 goals and 22 assists in 78 games.

Alex Rose (Cary, NC)
Sophomore – University of North Carolina
Ocean City Nor'easters 2018

Rose blew up in his debut season with the Nor’easters in 2018, leading the team in scoring (8 goals, 1 assist) and earning the club’s Offensive Player of the Year award. His playing time and role with the Tar Heels continues to increase in his sophomore season on one of the best teams in the country. Rose scored a pair of goals in nine games for the Tar Heels as they finished with a 14-4-1 record, and even spent time ranked No. 1 in the nation. Unfortunately, the season would end with a narrow loss in the ACC title game, followed by an upset loss to James Madison in the NCAA tournament.

Ruben Sanchez (Frankfort, IL)
Senior – Marquette University
Ocean City Nor'easters 2016

Sanchez finished his career at Marquette by starting 7 of the 12 games he played in this year in what was a disappointing season for the Golden Eagles. The team finished with a 7-9-3 overall record, and a 5-3-1 record in the ultra competitive Big East Conference. Marquette finished one game short of the NCAA tournament as they upset Xavier and No. 17 Creighton (both by penalty kick shootout) and advanced to the Big East championship game. They would lose to No. 19 Georgetown in the title game. Sanchez scored his penalty kick attempt in the shootout win over Xavier.

John Schroeder (Houston, TX)
Junior – University of Delaware
Ocean CIty Nor'easters 2017

Schroeder, who was the Nor’easters Young Player of the Year in 2017, finished his senior season at the University of Delaware. For the third year in a row, Schroeder was an all-conference selection and was a team captain for the second straight season. He appeared in all 17 games (starting 16) and scored a goal while helping the Blue Hens qualify for the conference tournament for the fifth time in the last six years.
 

Jimmy Slayton (Wethersfield, CT)
Junior - University of Hartford
Ocean City Nor'easters 2017-2018

It was a tough year for the Hartford Hawks this year, winning just one game. However, Slayton led the conference in saves per game and started all 16 games for the Hawks. Despite his team’s difficult season, his talent was not ignored as he is still considered a strong pro prospect with EverybodySoccer.com ranking him the No. 2 prospect among all junior goalkeepers in the country.



Brandon Smalley (Bridlington, England)
Junior – Florida Tech
Ocean City Nor'easters 2018

In Smalley’s sophomore year, he had tremendous success both on the field and in the classroom at Florida Tech. He was a first-team All-Sunshine State Conference selection and was named to the First Team CoSIDA Academic All-District Team. In 2018, his junior year, unfortunately, he was injured and did not see the field and is expected to be back and better than ever in 2019.



Alec Smir (Greensboro, NC)
Sophomore – University of North Carolina
Ocean City Nor'easters 2018

Smir was in the right place at the right time during his freshman year in 2017. He joined the Tar Heels as a highly-touted recruit, and due to an injury to the starter, the Greensboro steeped in and started 11 of the 12 games that he played in and finished with a 10-1-1 record and was among the best goalkeepers in the ACC. This past summer, Smir joined the Nor’easters and shined in the team’s US Open Cup run and played in four regular season games before leaving to take advantage of an educational opportunity overseas. For his efforts he was named the 2018 Nor’easters Young Player of the Year.

Unfortunately, due to injury, he was unable to see the field during the 2018 college season as James Pyle, one of the greatest goalkeepers in UNC history, put together an historic senior season, leading the nation in goals against average (0.36) and leading the conference in shutouts. UNC was one of the best teams in the country in 2018, finishing with a 14-4-1 record. Unfortunately, the season would end with a narrow loss in the ACC title game, followed by an upset loss to James Madison in the NCAA tournament.

Raheem Somersall (Basseterre, St. Kitts)
Senior – Florida Gulf Coast (Prev: Appalachian State)
Ocean City Nor'easters 2016

After three seasons at Appalachian State, Somersall transferred to Florida Gulf Coast University. He was a big part of a great season for FGCU as they finished with a 9-5-2 record and fell just short of receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. Somersall started all 15 of the games that he played in and was second on the team in minutes played (1,247) and dished out one assist. Somersall was also named to conference defensive player of the week back on Sept. 26. Somersall has also represented his home country at the youth (12 caps for the Under-20 national team) and the senior national team (11 caps) for St. Kitts and Nevis.



Modou Sowe (Harrison, NJ)
Junior - Rowan University
Ocean City Nor'easters 2018

Sowe transferred to Rowan University from Hudson County Community College and made an immediate impact in his sophomore season in 2017. Sowe was the New Jersey Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year and a First Team All-Conference and All-Region selection. This year, as a junior, he replicated that performance with his second straight Defensive Player of the Year award, and his second straight All-Conference and All-Region honor. To add some spice to his resume, he added a career high four assists and a stunning bicycle kick goal (WATCH BELOW)



Nick Spielman (Melbourne, FL)
Redshirt Senior - East Tennessee State
Ocean City Nor'easters 2017-2018

Spielman wrapped up his career at East Tennessee State with another solid season as a defensive midfield. He started all 17 games and led the Buccaneers in minutes played as the school added another winning season to the record books (9-7-1). For the second year in a row, he was named to the Southern Conference all-tournament team.

Harry Swartz (Needham, MA)
Redshirt Senior – Northeastern University
Ocean City Nor'easters 2015

Swartz played in every game (Starting 14 of the 16 games) for Northeastern this year, scoring one goal and dishing out two assists. He also led the team in shots. The Huskies would finish with a 6-9-1 record, but Swartz was named to the second team all-conference team and was an All-Atlantic Region selection. His college career finished with a special invitation to the 2019 adidas MLS Player Combine. He was the only player in the conference to get an invite as he works toward a professional career.  

Ignacio Tellechea (Madrid, Spain)
Sophomore – University of California Santa Barbara
Ocean City Nor'easters 2017-2018

After winning the conference Freshman of the Year award and helping West Virginia Tech reach the NAIA Elite Eight, Tellechea transferred to UCSB on the other side of the country. The Nor’easters Creative Player of the Year in 2017 ranked second on the team in scoring last year and started 13 of the 17 games he played in during the 2018 season, which saw the Gauchos finish with a 10-6-2 record and an undefeated record at home, which feature some of the biggest crowds in all of college soccer. Tellechea scored a goal and dished out three assists, with his only goal of the season coming in the season finale match against Cal State Fullerton which finished in a 1-1 draw in the conference tournament. The Gauchos would fall in a PK shootout.

Marco Torino (Westchester, NY)
Sophomore – St. Peters University
Ocean City Nor'easters 2018

After transferring from Hartwick College, Torino stepped in for his sophomore season at St. Peters University and was one of their top scorers. He finished with four goals and one assist in 16 games (13 starts), with two of those goals being game-winners for the Peacocks.
 

Joseph "Gus" Valeriano (Southampton, NJ)
Junior - University of California (Penn.)
Ocean City Nor'easters 2017-2018

Gus Valeriano saw limited time behind first team all-conference goalkeeper Lucas Exner, making just three appearances (one start), but his versatility and athleticism earned him some more playing time as he suited up in a few games as a field player.