Season Preview: Big Green Have Sights Set on Five-Peat

HANOVER, N.H. – A new coaching staff takes over to lead an experienced Dartmouth men's soccer team that is looking to win its fifth consecutive conference championship. The Big Green enter the season ranked No. 23 in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll.

Bo Oshoniyi (oh-SHAH-nee), the Bobby Clark head coach of soccer enters his first season at the helm. Joining him on the staff are Chad Duernberger who spent the previous seven years as the associate head coach at Penn State, and Stewart Flaherty who was at Bates College for the past six seasons.

The Big Green begin their season in Indiana where they take on the No. 2 ranked Hoosiers on August 31, and No. 17 Notre Dame on September 2. From there they travel to Storrs to face Connecticut before the home opener against Boston University on Tuesday, September 11. Ivy League play gets underway on Saturday, September 29 at Princeton.

Oshoniyi: "We have typically struggled in the first two games of the season which have always been big games, so our goal is to win those games at Indiana, and obviously our guys will be fired up to play Notre Dame."

Having recent success is something that the new coaching staff wants to build upon. Dartmouth has high hopes of winning its fifth straight Ivy League championship and making a run in the NCAA Tournament.

Oshoniyi: "The biggest thing for us is continuing the tradition. The program's expectations are to win another Ivy League championship and on top of that be in a good spot for the NCAA Tournament and make a deeper run than what has been done in the past. This group has a goal to be in the final four and I think that we have the pieces to do it."

Dartmouth returns a wealth of experience to the roster including five All-Conference selections from a season ago. Senior forward Eduvie Ikoba earned First Team All-Ivy League honors and Second Team NSCAA All-Region in 2017 after finishing the season with eight goals and three assists. Senior midfielder Justin Donawa was a First Team All-Ivy League selection last year after ending the season with three goals and eight assists. Back as well are sophomore goalkeeper Christopher Palacios and senior midfielder Noah Paravicini who earned Second Team All-Conference honors. Sophomore midfielder Dawson McCartney returns after a 2017 Honorable Mention nod.

Oshoniyi: "Typically the teams that do well are the teams that have seniors. This group is used to having the target on their back as being one of the best Ivy League teams and they can handle that pressure which is important. We have a good blend of upperclassmen that have been through it and we also have quite a few underclassmen that are ready to step up and make their mark on the program as well."

Fans who cannot make it to the games can watch all of the Big Green home and Ivy League contests this season on ESPN+.

Fri., Aug. 31	at Indiana	Bloomington, Ind.	8:00 p.m.
Sun., Sept. 2	vs. Notre Dame	Bloomington, Ind.	5:00 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 8	at UConn	Storrs, Conn.	7:00 p.m.
Tue., Sept. 11	BOSTON UNIVERSITY	Hanover, N.H.	5:00 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 15	NEW HAMPSHIRE	Hanover N.H.	7:00 p.m.
Tue., Sept. 18	at Hofstra	Hempstead, N.Y.	7:00 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 22	at UMass	Amherst, Mass.	1:00 p.m.
Tue., Sept. 25	UALBANY	Hanover, N.H.	7:00 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 29	at Princeton*	Princeton, N.J.	1:00 p.m.
Tue., Oct. 2	at Vermont	Burlington, Vt.	7:00 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 6	YALE* $	Hanover, N.H.	4:30 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 13	PENN* $	Hanover, N.H.	4:30 p.m.
Tue., Oct. 16	LEHIGH	Hanover, N.H.	6:00 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 19	at Columbia*	New York, N.Y.	5:00 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 27	HARVARD* $	Hanover, N.H.	4:00 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 3	at Cornell*	Ithaca, N.Y.	5:00 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 10	BROWN* $	Hanover, N.H.	5:00 p.m.

$ = Admission Charged

Schedules