Under the guidance of first-year head coach Tyler Sheikh, the Mount Aloysius men's soccer team made major strides in 2012 while laying the foundation for years to come. With a youthful roster dominated by 12 freshmen, the team showed it will be a force to be reckoned with in the AMCC and surrounding region.

The team's youth was shown off by the fact that the program's top four leaders in points were freshmen. The four- Daniel Oliveira, Nathan Bain, Xavier Cardona and Patrick Chea- provided Mount Aloysius with a strong offensive attack. The team set the program record for goals in a game with a 7-0 victory over Valley Forge and nearly matched it with a 6-0 win against Penn State-New Kensington. Cardona and Bain, who each scored three goals against Valley Forge, set the individual record for goals in a game at Mount Aloysius.

Oliveira led the Mount in all offensive categories as the Rio de Janiero native accumulated seven goals, six assists and 45 shots in his rookie campaign. Bain (5 goals, 2 assists), Chea (6 goals, 4 assists) and Cardona (3 goals, 3 assists) were right behind him.

In net, junior Jamie Greenwood saw most of the action as he registered 96 saves and .750 save percentage in 1,366 minutes of action. Logan Bodenschatz provided a reliable backup in net for the Mount and made eight saves in limited action.

The team's backline was spearheaded by Cardona, a captain in his first season, and junior Zach Whittington. Whittington (2 assists) helped provide dangerous set pieces with his long throw-in ability.

The midfield consisted of Oliveira, senior captain Luca Farina (2 assists) and freshmen Joey Moxey (2 goals) and Oshane Williams. Also providing depth in the midfield and outside back position were freshmen Dylan Johnson and Wes Challingsworth as well as juniors Ryan Hills and John Wiley.

Up top, Bain and sophomore Austin 'Ozzy' Old (2 goals, 1 assist) were joined by the late season addition of senior Curtis Brumbaugh. After returning from injury, Brumbaugh sparked the Mountie attack with his relentless play up top.

For game and video highlights of the 2012 season, check out the Mount Soccer Youtube page at http://www.youtube.com/user/MountieSoccer?feature=mhee