March 8, 2023 – United Soccer League Championship (USL) – Monterey Bay FC News Release
Next up, a breakdown of the defense heading into 2023. With nine clean sheets in the Club’s final 18 matches, including a run of five consecutive shutouts that extended for a total of 558 minutes (ninth longest in USL Championship history and third longest for a first-year club), the backline proved to be the strength of the Union in its second half surge.
Monterey Bay F.C. retained the services of talisman Hugh Roberts, as well as his centerback partner Kai Greene. This pairing proved effective over the past season and the re-signing of both defenders to new deals allows for an optimistic outlook for the defense in the upcoming season. The most dynamic part of the defense last season was the play of both fullbacks, Morey Doner and Grant Robinson. These two defenders combined for eight goal contributions in 2022, highlighting their dual importance in the attacking phase of play. While the starting back line from the inaugural season is back under contract for 2023, there have also been a couple of offseason additions to the defensive unit in young defenders Alex Lara and Max Glasser.
Morey Doner
Doner won 64.5 percent of his defensive duels over the course of the season, representing his important contributions on the defensive front. Doner started in all 34 regular season matches in 2022, leading the team with 3,047 minutes played. Flying up the right sideline, Doner recorded a team-high five assists and led the team in non-set-piece chances created with 30.
Max Glasser
A regular starter for the Aggies in the final two seasons of his collegiate career, the Novato, California native will be looking to impress in his first professional season. At UC Davis, Glasser became known for his intelligence on and off the ball and his skillful dribbling ability. In his debut with the Crisp and Kelp against the San Jose Earthquakes this preseason, Glasser made quite the impression. Do not be surprised to see the 22-year-old challenge for meaningful minutes throughout the campaign and earn plenty of opportunities to play this season.
Kai Greene
Greene started in all 31 of his appearances for the Union last season and recorded an impressive 107 clearances on the year. Greene also added two assists last season, including the game-winning assist to Roberts in the club’s first-ever victory. With nearly 170 appearances and over 13,700 minutes played in his USL Championship career,…