Cobras and Trojans Square Off in Season Opener

HARTSVILLE, S.C. – The Coker College men's soccer team will step foot on the friendly confines of the Coker Athletic Field for the first time in the 2017 season on Thursday (Aug. 31) at 4:30 p.m., when they host the visiting University of Mount Olive Trojans in a non-conference matchup. Live stats and video can be found at www.cokercobras.com.

The Coker College men's soccer team finished the 2016 season with seven wins, five of which came in South Atlantic Conference play. In non-conference play, the Navy and Gold earned wins over Chowan and Barton, while scoring SAC wins over Anderson, Brevard, Mars Hill, Queens and Carson-Newman. The Cobras qualified for the SAC Tournament, advancing all the way to the semifinals. 

The Cobras return 18 players from last year's roster and 19 newcomers, which includes 16 freshman and three transfers. In addition to 19 new players, the Cobras added two new assistant coaches in Liam Davies and Mike Ritterbeck. 

Preseason All-Conference selections Aladdin Elfares and Jacob Simonis, along with senior midfielder Chris Bordelon will lead the offensive charge for the Navy and Gold this season. Last season, Elfares led Cobra scorers with 21 points, netting 10 goals and dishing out one assist. Bordelon, a 2016 SAC All-Tournament team selection, along with Steffen Husum, who started in 15 games and distributed an assist, will be leading the midfield unit. 

The Trojans head into their first match of the year after posting a 7-8-1 record last season. In addition, Mount Olive was selected to finish fifth in the Conference Carolinas men's soccer preseason poll. Seniors Grant Conybear, Anton Lund and Trevor Knight were all listed as players to watch for the Trojans this season. 

Tickets for the match are $5 for adults, $3 for students, and free to all Coker faculty, staff, and students.