The Colgate Men’s soccer team kicks off their season this coming Friday with a home game against Saint Mary’s. The team is coming off a 4-14-2 season last year with much higher expectations for this season. Sophomore midfielder Charlie Vallee shed light on the team’s overall mentality. “Everyone is very optimistic about the upcoming season,” Vallee said. 

With 10 incoming first-years on the team this fall, one might assume there could be a lack of chemistry this early in the season, but senior forward Tanner Schilling assured otherwise. 

“The [first-years] have had really positive attitudes [and] have contributed to team morale already,” Schilling said. Last year’s points leader, sophomore forward Ethan Kutler, also noted that the

first-years “came in fit and ready to go.”

Schilling elaborated about this year’s  main goal. “We want to play more as a team,” Schilling said in hopes of changing the team’s style of play. 

Sophomore forward Zach Pagani additionally noted that the “team is looking very good and we have become a more cohesive unit than

last year.” 

Of course, this might be easy for Pagani to say seeing that his younger brother defenseman Chase Pagani enters this year as a first-year.

One should expect that their years of playing together will be apparent when they step out on the field for the first time together as Raiders.

 The Raiders’ schedule features seven games against non-league opponents

before opening up Patriot League play against Lafayette on September 27. Colgate plays host to the Central New York Classic to start the season on their brand new pitch hosting Saint Mary’s (Calif.) and Niagara. From there, other non-league matchups include a swing out west to face University of California Santa Barbara and

Loyola Marymount.

 The Raiders, however, know the importance of getting off to a hot start. Sophomore midfielder Colin O’Neill commented about the

tough schedule that the Raiders will face this upcoming season. 

“Every game is going to be a challenge, especially considering how much younger this team is compared to

previous year’s teams,” O’Neill said. 

Fortunately, the first-years bring in some impressive talent and a diverse

attacking style of play to a team that “needs to be more dynamic create more chances,” Kutler said. One such player is first-year defenseman Bruno Scodari who has already earned Patriot League Preseason Freshman of the Year honors. Unfortunately, Scodari has not seen much action this preseason because of a few nagging injuries, but once Scodari is back to full health, he will be a force for the Raiders already

strong defense. 

While the team is certainly younger than in past seasons with 10 incoming first-years and just two seniors leading the team, it should be a very exciting season. The team is extremely optimistic about their chances for putting together a

winning season and competing with some of the Patriot League’s best.