FLUSHING, N.Y. – The 2024 Queens College men's soccer team season officially gets underway on Thursday, Sept. 5 as the Knights open week one of the regular season with back-to-back home games.
 
Seventh-year head coach Frank Vertullo and the Knights are coming off a consecutive historic season which saw the 2023 squad earn the program's first East Coast Conference championship and their first-ever NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament victory. The Knights finished the year with an overall record of 12-8-2, 5-3 (third place in ECC play) to go with a total of four postseason victories.
 

Queens College Preview (2023 Record 12-8-2, 5-3 ECC)

• In 2023 the Knights scored a season-single program record of 55 goals as they averaged 2.50 goals a game.
• In the last two years, the Knights hold a combined record of 15-8-1 in Flushing.
• The Knights are looking to start the year on a strong note as they look to open the year 1-0 for the first time since the 2018 season when they defeated Saint Michael's College 3-1 on Aug. 30.
• In the ECC Men's Soccer Preseason Poll, Vertullo and his squad have been tabbed to repeat as Champions as they earned four first-place votes for a total of 72 points. (link)
• The 2024 squad consists of 19 returners, while Vertullo and his coaching staff welcomes 13 newcomers.
  • With the graduation of key members from the 2023 Championship squad in two-time All-American Adolfo Martinez Paquet, All-ECC honorees Nicholas Tagios, and Leo Pinto, Vertullo and his staff will turn to All-ECC honorees in juniors Harry Cooke, Kevin Johnson, Jose Mendez to lead a revamped 2024 squad.
  • Cooke who led the way with a team-high 26 points with 10 goals and six assists will once again be expected to lead from the front, while Johnson will patrol the midfield, and Mendez who was the second Knight to earn D2 CCA All-East Region honors as well highlight the backline.
  • While postseason heroes in sophomores Andrew Johnson and Tommy Gunn will add to the goal scoring support in the front line as the duo combined for four goals in the ECC Semi-Final and Final.

Opponent Outlook

The Knights are welcoming non-conference foes in Assumption University Greyhound on Thursday, Sept. 5, and two-time defending NCAA national champions Franklin Pierce University Raves on Saturday, Sept. 7.

Assumption University Greyhounds Preview

• Overall Wins-Losses-Ties: 1-4-0
• Last Win: 8/30/08 (2-1)
• Last Loss: 9/14/19 (0-2)
• Last Tie: -
• In 2023 the Greyhounds went 4-8-4 overall.

Franklin Pierce University Ravens Preview

• Overall Wins-Losses-Ties: 0-4-1
• Last Win: -
• Lass Loss: 0-3 (9/2/23)
• Last Tie: 1-1 (2OT) (9/17/19)
• In 2023 the Ravens capped off a consecutive undefeated season as they finished with an overall 21-0-2 and are undefeated in their last 49 games with the last official loss coming on Oct. 23, 2021, against Stonehill College in double overtime.

Week Two Outlook: The Knights wrap the three-game homestand on Wednesday, Sept. 11 as they welcome Holy Family University to town before concluding the week on the road in Rutherford, NJ at Felician University on Sunday, Sept. 15.

For the latest news on Queens College Athletics, follow the Knights at queensknights.com or via social media on Facebook (Queens College Athletics), X (Formerly Twitter) (@QCKnights), and Instagram (qcknightsny), men's soccer (qcmsoccer).