NEW ERA IN POST SOCCER

August 27, 2005

POST UNIVERSITY MEN'S AND WOMEN'S SOCCER PREVIEWS

By Mark Jaffee

2005 Republican-American

WATERBURY, CT - Matt Micros and Ted Haley are making their college coaching debuts for the Post University men's and women's soccer teams this weekend.

Haley will guide the Eagle men at St. Michael's College (VT), Saturday at noon, while Micros will guide the women's team at the College of Saint Rose (NY), Friday at noon.

"St. Rose is probably the toughest team we'll play this year," Micros said. "They were a Division II Top 25-borderline team last year. It will be a very good barometer for us."

But Micros, 38, isn't going to base his team's success on a single game's outcome. The Eagles went 2-15-1 overall in 2004.

"You need to have patience and build discipline and a positive mindset," said Micros, who formerly coached at Immaculate High and Brookfield High and was tabbed a five-time South-West Conference Coach of the Year.

"Once you get kids to believe in themselves, that is the greatest power that you can have," he said. "The kids have been very enthusiastic and are making a lot of positive strides."

All Micros needs to do is reflect on his high school girls coaching tenure at Immaculate High. In 2000, he took over a program that had gone 2-58 in its previous four years. With Micros aboard, the Mustangs reached the CIAC Class S Tournament in 2000, the state semifinals in 2001 and the Class S state championship in 2002.

Haley has some pretty good credentials, too.

A native of Milford, he originally played soccer at UConn before transferring to the College of Charleston (S.C.), where he earned All-Trans America Athletic Conference honors three times. He later played professionally in the United Soccer League's A-League, a feeder program to Major League Soccer.

In recent years, Haley was the athletic director and head boys soccer coach at the Dublin School (NH).

When 2004 coach Eric Da Costa left Post earlier this summer to take the head coaching job at Quinnipiac University, Haley jumped at the chance to join the collegiate ranks.

"So far, so good," he said.

"We've had a great preseason, and the kids have trained with the right attitude," Haley said. "We have a good mix of talent and a lot of new faces. It's easy to start fresh."

The Eagles are coming off a 3-16 season.

"It's absolutely essential for us to stay positive," Haley said. "My goal is for us to get better each day. We've already improved by leaps and bounds."

The men's team has a strong local connection consisting of sophomore defender Patrick Kiely of Woodbury, sophomore goalkeeper Marco Gaspar of Naugatuck and junior forward Adam Sebastian of Naugatuck.

Among the Eagles' freshmen contingent with local ties are midfielder Alex Brito of Waterbury, Dan Martins of Cheshire, midfielder Bledar Iljazi of Watertown, Luis Figueiredo of Wilby and goalkeeper Michael Aeschliman of Torrington.

The women's team also has a strong local connection with senior midfielder Meghan Carmody of Prospect, sophomore midfielder Liz Graveline of Prospect and sophomore midfielder Maria Stango of Oakville.

The area freshmen include midfielders Amanda Johnson and Stephanie Dunn, both of Wolcott, goalkeeper Morgan Luschenat of Thomaston, defender Samantha DelRegno of Middlebury and Kendra Kelly of New Milford.