Record: 1-14, 1-7 PAC
Head Coach: Kevin Meany (5th season) 10-62
Assistant Coach: Rory Deegan (2nd season), Nick Yando (1st season)
Postseason: none
Awards:
Tom Novak - All-PAC Second Team
Josh Pokrywa - All-PAC Sportsmanship Team
Reading, PA (May 19, 2008) - Senior midfielder
Tom Novak (Pottstown, PA/Pottsgrove) led the Alvernia offense this season with 34 goals and 15 assists. His 49 points this season helped him to break the career record for points with 130, surpassing the previous record of 81. He also set the record for career goals with 93 and career assists with 39. Novak scored at least one goal in every game this season and had a season-high five goals twice. For his efforts Novak was honored with a Second Team All-PAC selection.
The Crusaders opened their season with a chilly trip to Maritime College in late February where they fell by a score of 5-23. They followed this with a spring break training trip to Orlando, FL. Their time in Orlando at Disney's Wide World of Sports allowed them ample practice time and one game against the Moravian squad. Alvernia managed only two goals against the strong Moravian team and fell 18-2. Novak began his goal scoring by netting four out of Alvernia's first seven goals and adding one assist.
Alvernia dropped their next match against Stockton before posting their first and eventually only win of the season over Misericordia. In what would be their highest scoring game of the season, the Crusaders topped the Cougars from Misericordia 15-9. Both Novak and freshman
Jeff Bohler (Ephrata, PA/Ephrata) would score four goals each propelling the Crusaders to victory.
The remainder of Alvernia's 15-game season would be a struggle for the young Crusaders squad as they dropped their final 11 games. Three of these losses were by three goals or less, including two games that saw Alvernia lose by only goal.
Alvernia's season was highlighted by many impressive individual efforts. Freshman attack
Benjamin Stidham (Glen Burnie, MD/Cardinal Gibbons) was second on the team with 17 goals and 20 points. Stidham found the back of the net in ten out of Alvernia's 15 games and had six games with multiple goals. He had a season-high three goals against Manhattanville (3/29) and a season-high two assists versus Stockton (3/15). Stidham had a team-leading .378 shot percentage.
Senior
Martin Novia (Phoenixville, PA/Phoenixville High) played in all 15 games for Alvernia and was second on the team with nine assists. Sophomore
Chris Baker (Exeter, PA/Exeter) also impressed with ten goals, seven assists for a 17 points good for third on the team. Baker currently sits seventh all-time with 19 goals scored and fifth all-time with 14 assists.
Freshman goalie
Matt Boulton (Broadlands, VA/Briar Woods) led the Crusader goalkeeping trio with a 16.02 goals against average and a save percentage of .443.
Fellow freshman
Michael Fitta (Baltimore, MD/Archbishop Culey), a face-off specialist had 115 face-off wins which places him second all-time after just his freshman year. Fitta had a season high 16 face-off wins in Alvernia's win over Misericordia (3/26).