HARTSVILLE, S.C. – The Coker College men's soccer team, under the direction of third-year head coach Chris Williams, is set to begin its 2016 season on Saturday, Sept. 3 on the road against Belmont Abbey College.

Hitting Rewind

Cobras are coming off a three-win season in 2015, highlighted by wins over Newberry and Tusculum and an overtime road win against Mars Hill.

2016 Edition

The Cobras return 26 players from last year's roster, 13 of which appeared in 10 or more games last season.

The leadership and experience of the six seniors on the Coker roster will be heavily relied upon for success this season.

"Those seniors realize we are only going to be as good as them," said Williams. "Their leadership on and off the field is going to be paramount to our success."

Alvaro Urena, who started and played in all 14 games last season, is the top returning goal scorer after a three-goal 2015 campaign. Sophomore forward Aladdin Elfares also returns after scoring two goals last season.

"Both have come back fit and ready and both bring unbelievable work ethic on and off the ball," said Williams. "Both guys have looked sharp in front of goal and they are hungry."

The defensive side of the ball is where the Navy and Gold return a wealth of experience. David Arensdorf, Kaan Sen, Joby Griggs and Jose Herencia all played in 10-plus games last season.

"It is important for these guys, as older statesmen to understand the concepts we are trying to implement," Williams stated.  

The 2016 season will feature a new goalkeeper between the pipes, as juniors Michael Ritterbeck and Justin Walker continue to battle for the starting role.

"The level of competition between Mike and Justin has been superb," said Williams. "They both have come in fit, have worked incredibly hard, understand how critical their role is for us and they have been putting in two or three sessions a day. It will be a challenge for me to pick a starting goalkeeper."

16 new additions round out the 42-man 2016 Coker men's soccer roster.

The Experts Have Spoken

The Cobras were selected to finished tenth in the South Atlantic Conference preseason poll, with No. 18 nationally-ranked Wingate University garnering the top spot. The entire preseason poll can be found here.

"We will use that as a bit of motivation," said Williams. "We can't control other peoples thoughts and feelings, it's not about other people or preseason polls and we know what we are capable of achieving."

Schedule Rundown

Five non-conference games and 11 South Atlantic Conference showdowns make up Coker's 16-game schedule. The Cobras travel to Wingate on Oct. 5, to Lincoln Memorial on Oct. 15 and to Carson-Newman for the regular season finale on Oct. 29, all of which finished 2015 ranked in the top-10 regionally.

The Cobras will kick off their season on Saturday, Sept. 3 when they travel to Belmont Abbey College. Coker's home opener is against Chowan on Wednesday, Sept. 7 at 5 p.m. 

To view the full interview, click here