By Karen Allen

ROME--Men's soccer is set to begin the season this weekend as they travel to Cleveland, Tenn. to take part in the Olive Garden Invitational hosted by Lee University.

Today, September 6, the Hawks take on Lynn University; game time is set for 4:30pm. After a day off tomorrow, Shorter will be back in action Sunday, September 8, as they face King College at 4:30pm.

Returning for the Hawks in 2013 are many familiar faces, however, with over 20 new players it's safe to say that Shorter men's soccer will have a new look.

"After a disappointing year in terms of results, we knew we had to promote a dramatic change in our roster and that's exactly what we have done," Neto says. "We've added 21 new players to our roster of 11 returners and it's possible that we will have 7-9 new players in our starting line up every time we take the field this fall."

Included in the list of returners are five seniors who have made a huge impact on the program over the years, and will serve as the leadership going forward. Julian Kitkowski, Kyle Stonecipher, Nick Christiensen, Ryan Mcgouirk, and Sean Malloy will each put on a Shorter jersey for the final time this season, and hope it's one to remember.

"Being in our third and final transitional year to the NCAA II keeps us from competing in the GSC playoffs and eventually qualifying for the national tournament, " the coach says, "with that said, we are part of the NCCAA, which gives us an opportunity to experience the excitement and thrill of a post-season."

"Our main tangible goal this year is to qualify for the NCCAA regional tournament and go from there."

Also, back for the Hawks are the two leading scorers from last season, juniors Irvin Espinal (8) and Diego Gonzalez (6).

Sophomore, Austen Trevers will also be back in goal; last season he played in the 13 games, recorded 46 saves, and posted a save percentage of .687.
While the newcomers to the roster are many, Neto feels that when the Hawks take the field for the first time that will be very prepared.

"I'm absolutely positive we have added tremendous quality and depth to our roster, but putting a team together in three weeks is a big challenge. I'm confident in a good start, but I know this team will reach its peak later in the season when players have time to gel," the coach says.

Coach Neto has high hopes for the upcoming season, and is looking forward to what is to come; not only this year but in the future, as well.

"We feel like the quality we brought to the program will give us the opportunity to propel Shorter men's soccer to a new stage, one where we established ourselves as one of the top teams in our conference and pave the way for solid recruiting classes and success in post-seasons," he says.