Men’s soccer opens promising season

With one of the largest rosters in recent years, this year’s men’s soccer team hopes to also be one of the best.

Nine starters and 16 lettermen are returning from last year’s Royals, and talented incoming freshmen are stepping up to fill the gaps. Head coach Roger Mast, entering his fourteenth year with the program, has high expectations for the success of this year’s team.

In their quest to secure an ODAC championship title, the Royals will be attempting to reinforce balance, depth, and a strong defense this year. Senior sweeper Ted Erickson, junior defensive-midfielder Joel Shank, junior midfielder Adam Shank, junior goalkeeper Tim Koehn, senior forward Eric Blosser, and many others will provide leadership on the field to guide the Royals towards what they hope will be a very successful season.

The men pushed out a double-overtime win over Washington College at the Mary Washington Classic on Saturday, with freshman Ryan Bennett scoring in the final seconds to win 1-0. The team went on to be declared Mary Washington Classic Champions on Sunday.