GEORGETOWN, Texas - The Southwestern men's soccer team was just two goals away from making history last season and is looking to turn the tides with a squad of 14 upperclassmen leading the way.

"We were very excited with how the season ended last year, getting to the finals for the first time," stated Head Coach Don Gregory. "We were tied at the half and if we get that one go-ahead goal this year we can take the next step and that is where our focus is."

Senior captains Matthew Nickell, Daniel Poole and Steven Resnik will guide the ship on the field and hope to lead the Pirates to their first conference championship. "[The captains] are doing a great job of setting the tone for all the players," shared Gregory.

Nickell heads up the defensive line and kick-starts the offense. He posted two assists and scored two goals from the back field for the Pirates. "Matt will be very instrumental in not just his soccer ability but also his leadership and wanting put push harder and be successful." Poole, a veteran in goal for the Pirates, played every minute last season and posted a 1.42 goals against average with a .786 save percentage. "Daniel, will be one of the strongest goal keepers in the conference." Resnik is a sparkplug in the Pirate attacking third and seems to have endless energy to accompany his impressive speed. He was third on the team in assists and scored two goals last year. "Steven possesses an incredible fitness level and pace and with his willingness to get up and down and defend the full field sets a great example for our other players."

Fellow senior Tim Eamma is also looking to make the most of his final season and has returned with a renewed passion. Eamma was tied for fourth on the team in goals and fourth in assists last season and "has been really focused and we are working to get him to be a scoring force this year."

Rounding out the returners to watch is junior Zach Faulkner. Faulkner posted eight assists last season, tying for a team high, and added in two goals. "Zach has been great for us with his energy and willingness to sacrifice for the team."

"We have tremendous senior leadership this year and a ton of the junior class was on the field last year when we reached the final. The coaching staff talked in the off season about taking more chances and putting it on the players to do more. They have been through it before and do a great job of acting as coaches on the field yet putting their own flare to it and it works well for our guys. We hope it translates into tighter chemistry and they have a whole lot of fun. With 14 seniors it has really helped bring the younger guys along with the maturity."

The Pirates open the season at home on Friday, August 30^th. They face West Region opponent Puget Sound before hitting the road for some tough neutral site opponents. "We have a tough early season schedule and I am excited to see how we handle the adversity early on. I think they will be able to respond well and show that mental toughness and come together by finding a way to get it done.

Southwestern then opens conference play with a rematch of the SCAC Conference Final, facing Trinity in San Antonio on September 10^th. This year also marks the first season for new conference opponents Texas Lutheran and Schreiner.