1988 Saxons at a Glance
To this day, the 1988 men’s soccer team is still the winningest team in the history of Alfred University men’s soccer, posting a 14-1-3 record. The only loss was to Rochester Institute of Technology during the NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship Tournament. The Saxons finished the regular season ranked #3 in New York and #16 in the nation as they entered the NCAA’s with a 13-0-3 record.
The ’88 Saxons opened the season with a 6-0 shutout of Buffalo State before earning two of their three draws, tying RIT 1-1 and then the University of Rochester with a 1-1 score as well. They then won their next four games over Fredonia, Ithaca, Geneseo and St. Lawrence before their final tie of the season against Clarkson University in a 0-0 draw. The Saxons ended the season on a school record eight-win streak before tacking on another win in the NCAA’s over Clarkson, avenging the 0-0 draw with a 2-1 victory.
The Saxons outscored their opponents, 49-11 and didn’t allow more than one goal to an opponent all season, until the 3-0 loss to RIT in the NCAA tournament. They totaled eight shutout wins and nine total games where the defense did not allow a goal. There were only six games where the Saxon offense did not score multiple goals.
Out of the 1988 men’s soccer roster, there are two Alfred University Hall of Fame members. Tony Coccitto ’92 was inducted in 2006 and assistant coach William Ruffle ’88 was inducted in 2005. Ruffle was inducted as a standout member of the men’s soccer team from 1984-87 and also served as an Assistant Coach on the 1988 women’s soccer team that was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a Team of Distinction in 2022.
Martxel Mariscal was named a National All-American for his efforts as a freshman. Mariscal, Coccitto and Curt Jacobs were all named Regional All-Americans while Coccitto was named the EAA Rookie of the Year. Head Coach Steve Allison was named the NCAA Division III Coach of the Year.
The Players
David Bammel, David Borland, Shane Bower, William Boulter, Jean Charles, Tony Coccitto, Luis Coria, Chris DiMaggio, Mike Fabrizzi, Thomas Finn, Thomas Field, Leonard Fiorica, Tore Forland, Mark Husain, Curt Jacobs, Gerald Jerome, Michael Kelly, Dennis Lubinsky, Rob Mangino, Martxel Mariscal, Donnelly McGovern, John McNamara, Nikolas Ninos, Anthony Olszewski, Timothy Palmer, Thomas Perrego, Scott Ritts, Adam Schwartz, Robert Swapceinski, Gregory Vogel, Peter Walls, Larry Wilson
The Staff
Head Coach: Steve Allison
Assistant Coach: Todd Wawrousek
Assistant Coach: Bill Ruffle
Assistant Coach: Pedro Oregui
Assistant Coach: Pantxo Irzusta
Team Manager: Rich Preisig
