SUNY Ulster

2024 would mark Coach Lis-Simmons 9th year as head coach at SUNY Ulster.  The Senators had their largest roster under Coach Lis-Simmons with 35 players, including 23 players from outside the county and 1 International player.  The Senators would finish with an 8-5-1 overall record and 4-1-1 in conference play.  Achieving their 5th straight winning season and their second consecutive year breaking into the Top 10 National Rankings, being ranked as high as 6th in the nation.  The Senators hosted the Mid-Hudson Conference Championship for the 4th straight year.  Coach Lis-Simmons would help guide six players to All Conference Honors.  Andrew Foster (Kingston) was named Mid-Hudson Conference MVP, becoming the fourth Senators to win this award in the last five seasons.  Imari Harris (Kingston), Miguel Ruiz (NFA) were both selected 1st Team All Conference.  Mohamed Fadl (North Rockland), Max Maouris (Kingston), and Santiago Saavedra (Pine Bush) were selected to 2nd Team All Conference.  Three players were also awarded All Region Honors.  Andrew Foster (Kingston) 1st Team, Imari Harris (Kingston) 2nd Team, and Miguel Ruiz (NFA) 3rd Team.

2023 was Jamal Lis-Simmons 8th season as head coach for SUNY Ulster. The Senators would once again improve from the previous season. With a roster of 20 freshman and only 3 sophomores, the team finished 11-2-2 overall and 5-0 in conference play. 11 wins is the most under coach Lis-Simmons and the most in our program since 2008. The Senators would host the Mid-Hudson Conference Championship for the third straight year and win their 3rd straight conference title. During this three year stretch, Ulster is 15-0 vs conference opponents. Ulster’s only two loses on the season were against nationally ranked opponent Suffolk CC. They lost to them in their second game of the season then went on a 12-game unbeaten streak before falling to them again in the Region semifinal. During this stretch Ulster would also earn a 3-3 draw with #4 ranked Nassau CC. The Senators also broke into the Top 10 National poll and earned a home playoff game for the first time under coach Lis-Simmons. They were ranked as high as #7 and finished the regular season #8. Coach Lis-Simmons would have his first            All American selection, as Imari Harris (Kingston) was named 2nd Team All American.  Coach would also help guide five players to All Conference Honors. Imari Harris (Kingston) became the third Senator in the last four seasons to win Mid-Hudson Conference MVP.  Ashaasea Sankofa (Salesian), Randall Ashong (Arlington) and Cody Baker (Kingston) were selected to the 1st Team. Dantae McDonald (Jamaica) was selected to the 2nd Team. Five players were also awarded All Region honors. Imari Harris and Ashaasea Sankofa were both selected to the 1st Team. Randall Ashong and Dantae McDonald were both selected to the 2nd Team and Owen Canjura (North Rockland) was selected to the 3rd Team.

Jamal Lis-Simmons just finished his 7th season as head coach in 2022. The 2022 season brought the most success in his time at Ulster and again would see the program improve from the previous season. The team finished with a 10-3-1 overall record and 5-0 in conference play. The Senators would host the Conference Championship game for the second consecutive season and earned back 2 back Mid-Hudson Conference titles. The Senators 10 wins are most under Coach Lis Simmons and most in the program since 2008. Ulster beat #4 nationally ranked DIII opponent Nassau CC and took the #2 nationally ranked Herkimer CC to double OT, both on the road. In post-season play, Ulster would achieve their first region win and first regional finals appearance under Coach Lis-Simmons. Coach Lis-Simmons would also help guide six players to All Conference Honors. Modou Badjie (Kingston), Javi Rodriguez (NFA), Anthony Murcia (NFA), Jesus Martinez (NFA), Odirlei Thomaz (NFA), and Cody Baker (Kingston) were all selected to the All Mid-Hudson Conference 1st Team.

After a cancelled season in 2020 due to COVID, the Senators were determined to get over the hump in the 2021. Coach Lis-Simmons would bring in 17 new Freshman and the program would again see success from the prior year. The team improved their overall record to 9-3 and 5-0 in conference play. They would beat Westchester in the final regular season conference game, ending Westchester’s 7-year, 25 game conference win streak and earning the right to host the Conference Final for the first time under coach Lis-Simmons. This would be the 3rd consecutive conference final between Ulster and Westchester. Home field is exactly what the Senators needed as they would go to win the Mid-Hudson Conference title 3-2 in dramatic fashion with a walk-off golden goal in the double OT, ending Westchester’s bid for their 6th straight title. Coach Lis-Simmons was able to help guide six players to All Conference Honors. Jesus Martinez (NFA) was awarded Mid-Hudson Conference MVP, becoming the second straight Senator to win this award.  Justin Dunikowski (Wallkill), Odirlei Thomaz (NFA), Kawshar Biswas (Ellenville), Modou Badjie (Kingston) were all selected to the Mid-Hudson Conference 1st Team. Branden Guba (Ellenville) was selected to the 2nd Team.

The 2019 team was again able to build on the success of the prior year. They improved their overall record to 7-5 and 3-1 in conference play. They again earned a spot in the Conference Final, but again came up short to Westchester CC losing 4-1. Despite the loss, Coach Lis-Simmons was able to help guide four players to All Conference Honors. Edgar Garcia (FDR) was awarded Mid-Hudson Conference MVP. Kelvin Nunez (Fallsburgh) and Justin Dunikowski (Wallkill) were selected to the All Mid-Hudson Conference 1st Team. Tim Ruzzo (Kingston) was selected to the 2nd Team.

Entering his third season (2018) with the goal of competing for a conference title, the team was able to make great strides in achieving this goal.  They finished with an overall record of 5-6-1 and 3-1 in conference play.  Their conference record would earn them a spot in the Mid-Hudson Conference Championship game for the first time since 2012.  Unfortunately, Ulster would come up short falling to Westchester CC 4-1.  Despite the loss, Coach Lis-Simmons was able to help guide four players to All Conference Honors.  Kelvin Nunez (Fallsburg), Wes Cruz (Ellenville), and Riley Lake (Ellenville) were all selected to the All Mid-Hudson Conference First Team, and Witcliffe Cunningham (Kingston) was selected to the Second Team.

In his second season (2017) the team dealt with many injuries that they unable to overcome.  Despite the tough year, Coach Lis-Simmons helped guide two players to All Conference honors.  Freshman Adrian Lopez (Ellenville) was selected to the First Team All Mid-Hudson Conference and Kevin Kelly (Ireland) was selected to the Second Team.  Coach Lis-Simmons was hired in February of 2016 with a goal to rebuild the Men's Soccer program at SUNY Ulster. In his first season as Head Coach he led the program to their first victory in three years, while improving the team’s defense statistics across the board from 2015. 

Prior to Ulster, Jamal spent four seasons as the Assistant Soccer Coach for SUNY New Paltz under Hall of Fame Coach Gene Ventriglia, and prior to New Paltz he was the Head Men's Soccer Coach at Highland High School, where he led the program to an impressive 40-14 record over three seasons. Jamal is also currently the Head Coach for the Kingston Stockade FC of the National Premiere Soccer League (NPSL). 

His standout playing career included being the Team Captain for the Kingston Stockade FC, voted All NPSL 1st team while leading Stockade to their first ever Conference title (2017), playing for the SUNY New Paltz Soccer and Basketball teams, where he was a standout All- Conference player in Soccer, and also playing soccer at SUNY Albany where he was nominated Rookie of the Year (2000). Coach Lis-Simmons holds a Bachelor’s Degree in History from SUNY New Paltz, and is a graduate of Highland High School.>

Overall: 51-43-8  MHC: 25-13-1

Start Here and Go Far….

Imari Harris (Kingston) - SUNY Ulster 2023 and 2024

 - SUNY Oneonta 2025

Njao Kibue (Kenya) - SUNY Ulster 2024

 - Daemen University 2025

Cris Moscozo (North Rockland) - SUNY Ulster 2023 and 2024

 - SUNY Purchase 2025

Dantae McDonald (Jamaica) - SUNY Ulster 2022 and 2023

  - Freed-Hardeman University 2025

Randall Ashong (Arlington) – SUNY Ulster 2022 and 2023
  – SUNY Plattsburgh 2024 and 2025
Cody Baker (Kingston) – SUNY Ulster 2022 and 2023
  – SUNY New Paltz 2024 and 2025
Modou Badjie (Kingston)  – SUNY Ulster 2021 and 2022
    – SUNY Plattsburgh 2023 and 2024
Odirlei Thomaz (Newburgh) – SUNY Ulster 2021 and 2022
    – Mt St Mary 2023 and 2024
Eduardo Martinez (Newburgh) – SUNY Ulster 2018 and 2021
     – SUNY Buffalo St. 2022 and 2023
Caesar Martinez (Kingston) – SUNY Ulster 20189 and 2019
      – Mt St Mary 2022 and 2023
Carlos Cuellar (New Paltz) – SUNY Ulster 2016 and 2017
       – SUNY New Paltz in 2019
Joe Boland (Rhinebeck) – SUNY Ulster 2017
     – University of Saint Joseph, Conn. 2018