POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (August 29, 2017) – The reigning Liberty League champion Vassar College men's soccer team takes the field on Friday, September 1 at 4:30 p.m. against Western Connecticut State to kick off their 2017 campaign.

Last year, Vassar went 14-4-2 overall including a 5-2-1 conference mark. The team marched through the Liberty League tournament with a 3-1 semifinal win over RPI and a 3-2 victory over Skidmore in the Championship Game. The Brewers season came to a close in their NCAA First Round game against Elizabethtown.

This year's squad is led by the 2016 Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year and Head Coach Andy Jennings who enters his 27^th season as the head of the Brewers. The team returns nine of their starters from last year's NCAA game, including four of the top five point scorers from a season ago.

A group of seven seniors will look to incorporate 10 newcomers to the program who will be vying for playing time from the get go. Senior captains Tanner Sands and Hayden Van Brewer will be in charge of this mix of players focusing them all on a return to championship glory.

FORWARDS
Up front, Vassar returns 2016 Liberty League and ECAC Rookie of the Year Mattie Mrlik. As a freshman he led the Brewers in both points (29) and goals (11). Beside him will be senior Jose Novas who knocked in five tallies as a junior. A key reserve last season, Kevin Baliat will add some quickness off the bench for the Brewer offense. Freshmen Jonathan Bow and Pablo Napoli Borrero will add depth to the position for the Brewers who will have a bevy of offensive options.

MIDFIELD
Seniors Reid Smith, Noah Snider and Hayden Van Brewer will lead the midfield unit that consists of returners Toby Stansell and Nathaniel Kim as well as four freshmen who will all press for time on the field. Hawkins Barrat Heirmann, Jordi Martinez, Carlos Espina, and Andrew Goldsmith all look to be adjusted to the college game and will mesh well with the veteran unit. In 2016, both Smith and Van Brewer started all 20 games for the Brewers. Stansell saw significant action as a sophomore making 16 appearances while earning five starts. Kim saw the field on seven occasions as a rookie.

DEFENSE
A unit that posted eight shutouts a season ago returns three key starters in Tyler Gilmore, Tanner Sands, and Tim Collins. The trio combined to miss just one game in 2016 and will look to once again be the core of the Vassar defensive unit. Desmond Curran, Henrik Olsson, Nathaniel Lindley, and Mitch Davis are all back for the Brewers as they were all key contributors a season ago. Joining the fold are rookies Alec Yeaney and Austin Lukasik who have both impressed the coaching staff in preseason.

GOALKEEPERS
The Brewers will keep four goalkeepers on their roster in 2017 led by senior Matt Marcelino. Sophomore Will Marment is the other returner at this position and is joined by freshmen Luke Lefeber and Mark Infante II. Marcelino made 15 appearances last season and started 14 times while posting a 9-4-2 record with 48 saves and a 1.07 goals against average. Marment appeared three times a season ago while making one start. In his 128 minutes on the field he faced 10 shots and did not allow a goal.