Men's Soccer Welcomes 11 Newcomers
MANCHESTER, N.H. – First-year Southern New Hampshire University men’s soccer coach Marc Hubbard has announced a total of 11 newcomers for the 2008 season. The Penmen will welcome eight freshmen; PJ Burnette (Brunswick, ME), Patrick Hamilton (Kingston, Jamaica), Jayme Kapinos (Ludlow, MA), Joey Kapinos (Ludlow, MA), Ethan Lapierre (Manchester, NH), Rob Lucas (Hooksett, NH), Shane O’Neill (Gloucester, MA) and Mark Painchaud (Concord, NH). In addition, SNHU will add a trio of transfer students in graduate student Jonathan Coache (Bow, NH) and juniors Jamie Phillips (Hampton Falls, NH) and Adrian Schippers (Ashby, MA).
“I expect preseason to be extremely competitive with this new group of players,” said Hubbard. “This class provides depth at every position and will provide the strong framework needed to reestablish the program atop Division II.”
Burnette played soccer for four seasons at Brunswick HS. A three-time All-State selection, Burnette led the Dragons to an undefeated season (20-0) and the Eastern Maine division title as a senior. Over his three years he totaled 41 goals. Burnette also spent 10 years with the Coastal Maine club, which he helped lead to nine consecutive Region One championships from 2000-08.
Coache, who recently graduated from Liberty University, will be pursuing his master’s at SNHU. A three-year member of the Flames’ soccer team, he was a three-time member of the Big South Presidential Honor Roll. A 2004 graduate of Bow High School, Coache finished his career with the third-highest point total in New Hampshire history, notching 118 goals and 38 assists. A four-time All-State selection, Coache was named All-New England as a senior and led the Falcons to three Class I title games, including a state title in 2002 when Bow finished 20-0-0. Coache played club soccer with Seacoast United for six years.
Hamilton has spent the last 10 years playing with the Real Mona club team in Jamaica. He started with the club with the U-12 team and recently helped the club win the major league tournament, which allowed Real Mona to be promoted to the Super League. Hamilton was also three-time all Western Mass performer at Avon Old Farms (CT).
Jayme and Joey Kapinos are twin brothers who both prepped last year at Avon Old Farms after graduating from Ludlow High School in 2007, where they were teammates with current SNHU player Mike Adam. Jayme, a defender, was First Team All-Western Mass. as a senior and captained the Lions his senior year. Joey, a goaltender, posted a 0.47 goals-against average with 11 shutouts as a senior at Ludlow and a 0.47 GAA with 12 shutouts at Avon Old Farms. A Second Team All-Western Mass. choice as a senior, Joey also served as team captain. The brothers were a part of two Western Mass. finalist teams at Ludlow and helped lead Avon Old Farms to a 16-1-2 record and the NEPSAC Class A championship last fall.
Lapierre was a four-year member of the boys soccer team at Manchester Memorial. As a senior, he registered nine goals and 20 assists for 38 points as the Crusaders rolled up a 13-5 record. He was named First Team All-State and served as a team captain. Lapierre has also played club soccer for the past four years for the New Hampshire Phantoms and has been selected to participate in the USL Super-Y ODP National Camp in 2007 and 2008.
Lucas was a four-year letterwinner in soccer at Manchester Central. As a senior he led the Little Green to a 10-6 record as he totaled 13 goals and 16 assists for 42 points while serving as team captain. A two-time All-State selection, Lucas was a three-time team MVP and led Central to at least 10 wins in each of his four seasons. An eight-year veteran of club soccer, Lucas has played for both the New Hampshire Classics and the New Hampshire Phantoms.
O’Neill will be reunited with former Gloucester High School teammate Paul D’Angelo at SNHU. He was a four-year member of the Fishermen soccer team and notched 10 goals and 12 assists as a senior. He graduated with the most points, goals and assists in school history and was a two-time Eastern Mass. all-star and an All-State selection. Gloucester also earned its first two conference titles in program history in O’Neill’s junior and senior seasons. He has also spent four years with the Aztec club program.
Painchaud has spent the past three seasons on the varsity soccer team at Concord High School, where he was a member of the Crimson Tide’s Class L title team in 2005. An All-State selection as a senior, Painchaud, a goalie, allowed just 21 goals in 14 games as a senior and over his career posted a 26-9-2 record and allowed just 34 goals while registering a .875 save percentage. He was named to the 2008 Lion’s Cup Team. Painchaud has also played club soccer with Inter Bandits SC out of Boston for the past two years.
Phillips spent the past two seasons at Dean College in Franklin, MA, where he played for current SNHU assistant coach Rob Dow. At Dean, he was a two-time All-Region selection and last season he recorded 19 goals and seven assists, ranking among the national leaders in points per game. A 2005 graduate of Winnacunnet High School, Phillips was a First Team All-State selection with the Warriors and also played club soccer for Seacoast United.
Schippers has played at Springfield College in Springfield, MA the past two seasons. A two-time All-NEWMAC selection, Schippers was the conference’s Freshman of the Year in 2006, and was also a NSCAA All-Region selection as a sophomore. In two seasons with the Pride, he has totaled 16 goals and four assists for 36 points. This summer Schippers is playing with the New Hampshire Phantoms of the USL Premier Development League.
“The challenge of our preseason will be to find a way to gel these 11 newcomers with the 13 returners in such a short period of time,” Hubbard explains. “The program is improving at a rapid pace. We had a good spring season and I have nothing but high expectations for this team this fall.